Pittsburgh police questioning woman after baby found in freezer

A Pennsylvania woman was charged with abuse of a corpse after police found the remains of a baby in her freezer.

Police charged Christine Hutchinson, 22, of Pittsburgh, after interviewing her Thursday evening, several hours after the remains were found in her apartment.

Officers got a tip from someone who knew Hutchinson that there was "possibly a baby that was dead and was in a freezer in an apartment in Bloomfield," a working-class neighborhood several miles east of downtown, Pittsburgh police Cmdr. Thomas Stangrecki said.

Detectives found what initially appeared to be a late-term fetus in a brown bag in the freezer, police said, though it wasn't immediately clear whether the remains resulted from a miscarriage, late-term abortion or a death shortly after birth.

But later, Lt. Daniel Herrmann said the abuse of a corpse charge applies only to human beings. Under the law, he said, a fetus is not considered a human being.

An autopsy was scheduled for Friday. Police said that they did not believe the death was recent but gave no further details.

Police also questioned the woman's ex-boyfriend but said they do not believe he was the father. He was not charged.

Hutchinson was in custody awaiting arraignment late Thursday. A criminal complaint and police affidavit were not immediately released.

It was not immediately known whether Hutchinson had an attorney.