A Florida mom is under heavy scrutiny after cops say they found a dead baby in her freezer.
Jessica Smallwood, 27, of Punta Gorda hasn't yet been charged with a crime -- but police have set up a several-block perimeter around her home. They're searching for clues for why the mother of three other children allegedly hid a newborn's corpse in the freezer, according to NBC-2.
Cops responded to the home at 8 p.m. on Sunday after Smallwood called for an ambulance because she was bleeding profusely, the station reported. She was taken to the hospital, treated for her apparent injuries, and released, according to media outlets.
Hospital staff contacted police when Smallwood allegedly told a suspicious story, and an ensuing investigation led them to the freezer on Monday.The Sarasota Herald-Tribune says.
That's when they found the body of the yet-unidentified child. The cause of death wasn't immediately available.
WINK News reported that Smallwood's three other children, all under 10 years old, were immediately taken from her and Kevin Garcia, the father of at least two of her kids. Those children were placed in Smallwood's parent's care.
Cops are deeming the death suspicious, but haven't made any arrests in the case.
Now officers are patrolling Smallwood's home and casing the block with cadaver dogs, though police won't say if they've found anything else.
The couple has had run-ins with the state Department of Children and Families before, according to NBC-2. The agency wouldn't give details on those incidents, but officials said they did not involve physical abuse.