Woman Pleads Not Guilty in Newborn Abandonment Case

Tom Darby

A woman accused of abandoning her newborn baby in a dumpster at a Sun Valley apartment complex last summer has pleaded not guilty and is going to trial.

Taylour Sierra Dickinson, 28, entered a not guilty plea in Washoe District Court and was rearraigned after her case was bound over to the new court. A five-day jury trial is to begin on Aug. 24.

Dickinson faces charges including attempted murder and child abuse, neglect, or endangerment. She remains in custody, with bail previously set at $1 million.

The case stems from the July 5, 2025, incident at the Elevate Apartments on Sun Valley Boulevard. Deputies with the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office responded after a neighbor reported hearing a baby crying from inside a dumpster.

A newborn boy was in a white trash bag after spending roughly 10 hours in the dumpster. Authorities said a family at the scene helped rescue the infant, who was then wrapped in a survival blanket and rushed to Renown Regional Medical Center.

The baby was cold but otherwise healthy.

Investigators reviewed surveillance footage showing a woman placing a white plastic bag into the dumpster around 3:30 a.m. DNA testing later confirmed Dickinson was the child’s mother.

Court documents indicate Dickinson gave birth alone in her bathroom earlier that morning. She later told investigators she panicked and believed abandoning the baby was her only option.

Nevada’s Safe Haven Law allows parents to legally give up a newborn at designated locations without criminal consequences.