14-year-old girl arrested after her newborn suffocates

HOUSTON (AP) — A 14-year-old who gave birth at her friend's Houston apartment, then helped discard the newborn's body after he suffocated, was arrested after a child who witnessed the death told a school counselor, authorities said today.

Houston police said no adults were present — only another 14-year-old and two 11-year-olds — when the girl gave birth April 16, and the group learned about child birth from the Internet. The newborn was placed on a mattress and was "alive for some time," but died after his head was covered with the amniotic sac, Senior Officer C.P. Abbey said.

"We were a little surprised ourselves that these kids gave birth in an apartment," Abbey said. "Our question to them was, 'How did you know how to do this?' and they said they had looked it up on a computer."

The newborn never cried, and no one called 911.