A former UA student who was arrested after her newborn son was found in a laundry bag inside her dorm was sentenced to five years in prison Friday.
Sarah Tatum, 21, pleaded guilty last month to aggravated assault and child abuse under circumstances likely to cause death.
Tatum was 19 when she gave birth to a boy on the afternoon of Feb. 23, 2009, in a bathroom stall in the Arizona-Sonora Residence Hall.
University of Arizona police found the baby inside a laundry bag at the foot of Tatum's bed, according to court documents.
The baby was released from University Medical Center on March 12, 2009, and has since been adopted.
Defense attorney Laura Udall said her client thought the baby was stillborn.
Before Pima County Superior Court Judge Richard Fields sentenced Tatum, he heard from the boy's adoptive parents, Sarah and Matt Mortensen. The couple told Fields they don't believe Tatum should be punished harshly for what they described as a "freak accident."
People are also reading…
Although the baby has cerebral palsy, tests have shown his brain is sending signals along new routes, thus raising hopes he will one day catch up developmentally. He is now sitting up on his own and can walk with braces and by holding their hands, the Mortensens said.
The boy also can speak a few words and uses sign language, they said.
As they spoke, Tatum broke into smiles and tears.
She told Fields she thanks God for the boy's improvement and for the Mortensens. Her judgment was "clouded" that day and she never intended to hurt the baby, she said.
Tatum will be required to pay $100,000 in restitution. She's already paid $25,000 into a trust fund for the boy using an inheritance.
Contact reporter Kim Smith at 573-4241 or kimsmith@azstarnet.com
