Photo: CBS 12
A seven and a half year prison sentence for a Boca Raton woman who literally threw away her baby.
38-year old Rafaelle Sousa was sentenced Wednesday after accepting a plea deal. She pleaded guilty to attempted murder and child abuse.
The woman could have gotten over 30 years at trial, but Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg tells CBS 12 News that Sousa suffers from serious mental health issues and there was a chance she would not have been convicted.
"So we decided that this was the best resolution in the interest of justice."
Sousa's attorney says her client gave birth in her bathroom in 2019 and the infant fell into the toilet, hitting her head. She says the woman believed the baby was dead so she placed her in a garbage bag and put it in a dumpster.
Maintenance workers heard the girl's cries and rescued her. Sara now lives with her father.
Sousa will spend just over four years behind bars after getting credit for time served.