Bianca DeSouza, 21, Arrested
“I’m sorry I didn’t react. I just sat there. Like an idiot. I just sat there.”
BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2023) — 21-year-old Bianca DeSouza of Boca Raton has been arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and neglect of a child, according to jail records released to Boca Post by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
21-year-old Bianca DeSouza of the 19000 block of Dinner Key Drive, in Boca Raton, has been arrested by the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office.
DeSouza was arrested recently for a tragic incident that occurred in May of 2022.
PBSO Deputies and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue resp0nded to DeSouza’s home just before 5 PM on May 2nd, 2022. The call was about a unresponsive baby. First responders performed CPR and transported the baby to West Boca Medical Center where he was declared deceased at 5:46 PM.
That is when the investigation began, according to DeSouza’s arrest report. Investigators quickly learned that DeSouza, 19 at the time, gave birth in her home within a few hours of the initial emergency response.
DeSouza’s mother found the infant unresponsive in Bianca’s bed and called 911. Bianca’s mother told deputies that Bianca was pregnant and scheduled to be induced for childbirth the following day. The mother said when she arrived home from work, she entered the residence and looked in Bianca’s room and noticed the blinds were broken and yelled for Bianca. Moments later, she realized there was an infant on the bed.
The mother called to Bianca again and asked what is in the bed. Bianca replied, “It’s a baby.” Whose baby? “Mine”, Bianca replied.
The mother continued into the residence toward her own bedroom and found Bianca laying on her bed. She told Bianca to call 911 but she said her phone was going to die. The mother told deputies that DeSouza knew the baby died hours ago but didn’t call anybody. Nicole went back to the room and found that the baby was not breathing. She knew it was dead. Bianca did not tell her anything more.
The mother told investigators that Bianca’s bi-polar medication was altered prior to the incident.
Investigators say Bianca initially told them “I don’t know”, when asked about her baby in the emergency room. She said he was crying nonstop as she held him. Eventually, he stopped and Bianca got up and took a shower. After the shower, she went to her room to get clothes and change. He was still sitting there on his left side. Bianca went to her mom’s room, laid down and stared at the ceiling. Bianca was home alone all day. She does not recall calling anyone after giving birth. She did not hear him crying while she was in the shower, nor did he cry while she changed in
her room.
The following day, Bianca’s mother told deputies she fears Bianca did something to the baby. The mother speculates that DeSouza may have had a mental breakdown over the stress of possibly not finding a suitable family for adoption of the baby.
Detectives reviewed doctors notes, finding that Bianca admitted to using illicit drugs for the first 6 months of the pregnancy.
When Bianca was interviewed by detectives, she mentioned her mental health issues; psychosis and bipolar II disorder. She started taking medication after the pregnancy, Lamictal, which was prescribed by her psychiatrist. She did feel better after taking the medication as prescribed. Bianca no longer communicated with her husband after she was arrested in Texas for domestic violence. Additionally, Bianca’s husband is deployed with the military outside the continental United States.
Bianca did initially want to keep the baby after thinking of termination. She looked into termination but changed her mind. I asked what made her decide for adoption, Bianca said, “I didn’t think I’d be mentally capable to raise him. And I didn’t want that for him, because I’ve experienced my mom.”
Bianca told investigators, “I just didn’t do anything and I’m so mad. It was like my body stopped working.” Bianca said, “I would have someone, I would have called for help.”, when investigators asked her about the death of her son.
DeSouza is charged with:
- 782.07(3) Aggravated Manslaughter Of A Child
- 827.03(2b) Neglect Of A Child Causing Great Bodily Harm
DeSouza was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail at 12/8/2023 and released the following day on a $25,000 bond.
