A college cheerleader was arrested in connection with the Wednesday death of an infant, according to a press release from the Lexington Police Department.
Twenty-one-year-old Laken Snelling was charged August 31 with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant, police said in the same release. The charges follow an August 27 incident in which police were dispatched to a residence for an unresponsive infant. Upon arriving at the residence, officers located the infant, who they pronounced dead, according to the same release.
The infant “was located wrapped in a towel inside of a black trash bag,” according to Snelling’s arrest citation, LEX 18 reported. Snelling allegedly “admitted to giving birth” after she was Mirandized and interviewed by officers. The 21-year-old also “admitted to concealing the birth by cleaning any evidence, placing all cleaning items used inside of a black trash bag, including the infant, who was wrapped in a towel,” LEX 18 reported, referencing the same arrest citation.
The outlet identified Snelling as a student at the University of Kentucky.
Although she was charged in connection with the August 27 incident, Snelling posted a $100,000 bond and is now on “home incarceration with no ankle monitor,” according to court documents cited by LEX 18. The documents reportedly indicated Snelling is “to live with [her] parents.” Snelling was arrested in Kentucky and placed on house arrest at her parents’ residence in Jefferson City, Tennessee, according to NBC News, citing court documents.
Snelling is listed as a member of the University of Kentucky’s STUNT cheerleading team. A spokesperson confirmed the 21-year-old is a senior at the university, the Courier-Journal reported. (RELATED: ‘Pool Of Blood’: Attendee Found Dead At Popular Festival)
According to the New York Post, Snelling appears to have posted a TikTok video back in June naming motherhood as one of her life goals. The video’s comment section has since been flooded by social media users questioning Snelling’s alleged actions, the outlet indicated.
The Fayette County Coroner’s Office is investigating the infant’s cause of death, NBC News reported.
The Daily Caller contacted the Lexington Police Department for comment regarding the incident, but they did not immediately respond.