The mother of a 10-month-old girl who was found dead in the area of the General Electric main plant Sunday will face additional charges connected to the girl's death, officials say.
Persia Nelson, 24, who was living in Schenectady, was charged with second-degree manslaughter Sunday after Halo Branton was discovered in a utility tunnel on the GE campus. Schenectady County District Attorney Robert Carney said that an additional depraved-indifference murder charge will be filed.
GE security called police around 11 p.m. Saturday, according to Schenectady Police Chief Eric Clifford, reporting a trespasser on the grounds who said she had lost a child. Police say they believe the person on the grounds was Nelson. When police couldn't rule out an abduction by the morning, Clifford said, an Amber Alert was issued.
After a search of the campus, the child was pulled out of a utility tunnel and rushed to Ellis Hospital, where she was declared dead at 1:24 p.m. Police say autopsy findings determined the child died of exposure and hypothermia; there was water in the tunnel, but she did not drown.
Documents filed in Schenectady County allege Nelson dropped the child down the tunnel around 10 p.m. Saturday.
Nelson is currently detained in Schenectady County, and her bail was set at $500,000 cash, $1 million bond or $5 million partially secured bond. Her next court appearance is at 1:30 Thursday afternoon.