A woman found guilty in February of feticide and neglect of a dependent by a jury in St. Joseph County, was sentenced today.
Purvi Patel, 33, Granger, was sentenced to 30 years for the neglect of a dependent, with 10 years suspended. She was also sentenced to six-years on the feticide charge, which will run concurrent with the 20-year-term
Patel reportedly left her newborn son to die in a trash bin after terminating her own pregnancy on July 14, 2013. Police found the baby in a dumpster behind Moe’s Southwest Grill, a restaurant owned by her family, in Mishawaka.
A jury found her guilty in February.
Patel allegedly took drugs to induce an abortion and failed to get medical help for the child when it was born alive. The drugs were allegedly from China.
Under Indiana law, feticide is defined as a person who knowingly or intentionally terminates a human pregnancy with an intention other than to produce a live birth or to remove a dead fetus.” The law does not apply to abortions that are legally performed according to state regulations.
The sentence is expected to be appealed.