HILLIARD, Ohio — A Hilliard mother who is facing charges in the death of a newborn who was found in the trunk of a car last year had her bond lowered Monday.
Basma Alkelezli, 36, appeared in Franklin County Common Pleas Court Monday where her bond was reduced from $2 million to $200,000 with a $20,000 recognizance bond.
As part of her special instructions, Judge Andy Miller ordered Alkelezli to stay away from the co-defendant, 19-year-old Hanan Al Jabouli. She is also ordered to house arrest.
Alkelezli and her daughter, Al Jabouli, are facing a series of charges including murder after police say they tried to get rid of Alkelezli's newborn baby boy.
The incident happened on Paxton Drive South in Hilliard on Sept. 20.
“Alkelezli gave a statement to officers, ultimately she admitted she was pregnant. She stated that they were moving homes and the baby would have been more expensive,” the prosecutor said in court.
Medics from Norwich Township were called to the home because of a medical emergency. They realized Alkelezli had recently given birth. Hilliard police found the boy in a trash bag inside a 5-gallon bucket in a vehicle in the family's backyard.
“She admitted to wrapping up the baby in a blood-soaked blanket within 5-10 seconds after delivering the baby and placing it in the trash bag. This defendant, Jabouli, admitted to helping perform these activities,” prosecutors argued.
In court last October, prosecutors said Jabouli, who is a nursing student at Columbus State, helped her mom after the birth.
“She carried the 5-gallon bucket out to the car. She admitted she could still hear the baby crying from inside the trash bag and bucket as she carried the bucket and placed it inside the vehicle,” prosecutors said.
The coroner's office said the boy did not die in utero and was otherwise healthy. The coroner’s office says that the cause and manner of death are classified as undetermined.
Al Jabouli’s bond was not lowered during her hearing on Monday since she posted her $1 million bond.