For the police officer, the man’s body language was the giveaway. His combative stance and his abrupt hand movement hinted at the possibility of danger.City utility workers found a fetus Monday afternoon while cleaning a screen inside a pump house at the Third Street Storm Water Station.
Police were called at 12:50 p.m., and paramedics at the scene believed the fetus to be in the early stages of development, between 10 and 25 weeks, according to a statement from Raquel Foster, police spokeswoman.
The fetus was collected and taken to the Northeast Indiana Forensic Center for examination, the statement said. The Allen County Coroner's Office will determine the cause and manner of death.
"We're not treating it as a homicide," Foster said. "It's the coroner's investigation. They'll determine the age, and they'll share their findings with us, and then we'll go from there."
The water station, located at 1400 N. Calhoun St., is a pump station that collects stormwater and sewage from the surrounding neighborhoods. Because the homes are at a lower elevation, the water must be sent to a pump station before it can be pumped into the St. Marys River.
Mary Jane Slaton, spokeswoman for City Utilities, said when the pump station fills to a certain point, the pumps turn on and the water is sent to the river. Because the station is in the city's older combined sewer area, the station receives stormwater and sewage, particularly during heavy rains.
The fetus was found at the screen inside the pump station that keeps large items from being sent into the river, Slaton said. Utility workers found the fetus during a regular cleaning of the screen.
Update
