MANKATO — A 29-year-old woman arrested in Milan, Mo., last week has been indicted for first-degree murder in Sibley County District Court.
Amy Ann Romero abandoned a new-born girl in the woods hours after giving birth to the child more than a decade to go, according to an indictment unsealed during a court hearing Thursday.
Romero, formerly known as Amy Aune, was arrested in Milan Friday and returned to Minnesota after an extradition hearing there earlier this week.
The indictment reveals little about what authorities believe happened on April 28, 2001. It only says Romero gave birth to the child, identified as Ava Juanita Aune, early that morning and left it in a woods to die sometime in the late afternoon.
A grand jury was convened in Gaylord earlier this month and handed down the indictment on Jan. 19, resulting in a warrant being issued for Romero's arrest in Missouri. The indictment charges Romero with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, third-degree murder, two counts of second-degree manslaughter, child neglect and child endangerment.
Sibley County Attorney David Schauer said he didn't want to say anything at this time about how authorities became aware of the child's death or whether a body was found.
Romero's bail was set at $25,000 cash or a $250,000 bond with conditions. Her next hearing is scheduled for March 15.
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