Dallas Police prepare to make statement about fetus found in Woodrow Wilson High School bathroom: Christina Hughes Babb
Update: Fetus incident at Woodrow ruled ‘miscarriage’
A Woodrow Wilson High School staff member found a human fetus in the girls restroom at the school at 2:30 p.m. today, Dallas ISD spokesperson Jon Dahlander says. The Dallas Police Department is investigating, and Dallas ISD is attempting to notify Woodrow parents. “Obviously this is very serious.Very troubling,” Dahlander said.
Police would not answer questions yet about the fetus’s stage of development. They are still searching for the person responsible or for anyone who knows anything about the situation.
Outside the high school at about 5:30 p.m. members of the television media, Dallas police officers and a few Woodrow Wilson High School students gather — some are waiting for more information about the day’s gruesome findings.
Freshman Nathan Padron was practicing on the athletic fields when helicopters started hovering over the school, he says. Several police cars arrived, and the students started to suspect they might be in danger, he says. His sister, senior Alyssia Borrego says there were more police and media here today than there were after a shooting that happened across the street from the school last fall. “Is this even a crime?” she asks.
Seniors Emilio Olvera and Marc Lopez chime in to say that, the way they see it, it was more like some awful exhibit of irresponsibility and, says Olvera, “really bad timing,” but that no one was in danger. Way worse things have happened around here, they say. Like the aforementioned shooting, not to mention the recent unsolved murder of their classmate and friend Eric Romero, the boys say. (Said shooting did not occur while school was in session).
None of them knows many details of what happened today, they say, other than that the fetus was found in a trashcan upstairs in the school’s new wing.
Dallas ISD issued this statement: “Dallas ISD immediately dispatched staff from the district’s Psychological Services Department to the school to provide professional support for students and staff members. Additional counseling support will continue to be available next week. The district encourages any member of the Woodrow Wilson community to utilize these services.”
Dallas Police officer John Lawton briefs the media
Dallas Police officer John Lawton says police, in collaboration with the school district, are looking for any information that might help them locate the woman, probably a high school student, at the center of this case.
They are reviewing video and will speak with teachers and students in hopes of finding something that will lead them to the “suspect” — he did use the word suspect, and when asked if she would be charged with a crime once she was located, he would not elaborate.
He does say that the best thing for the woman to do would be to come forward and explain the situation to police.
She or anyone with information should call Youth Operations at 214.671.4268. We will continue to follow this story as it develops. If you have anything to add, please call or text us at 972.697.8699 or email chughes@advocatemag.com.
Brittany Nunn also contributed to this article.
