Pregnant Teen Sues City Over 3 Days in Jail, Strip Search

ABC 7

A seven months pregnant woman is filing a $1-million civil lawsuit against the city claiming police falsely arrested her and kept her in jail for three days, before finally realizing she was arrested for no reason. The NYPD and Stephanie Badillo, 19, have differing versions of how long Badillo was behind bars, but this much is certain: she was in the wrong place at the wrong time when she went to visit her boyfriend in Tremont on the evening of November 5th.

When Badillo entered the lobby of her boyfriend's apartment building around 11:30 that night, she was inadvertently walking into a drug bust. She was arrested along with eight others, including their boyfriend, and the NYPD tells the Post that "heroin was present." Badillo's lawyer claims his client was taken to the 48th Precinct station house and did not get released from Central Booking until 3:45 a.m. Monday, a total of more than 50 hours in the clink. Her boyfriend was released a couple of hours later, and the Bronx DA will only say that there was "insufficient evidence" to prosecute.

Badillo tells ABC 7 she was strip-searched: "They made me pull my pants down and my shirt up...and squat." And during her time in jail, she says she didn't eat or sleep, telling the Post, "I was afraid for the life of my baby. I couldn't do anything." Her lawyer adds, "To have her sit in a jail for three days without a lawyer or being able to see a judge rings with injustice." But the NYPD claims she was in custody from just before midnight on the 5th until just after midnight on the 7th. Sheesh, that's only 25 hours, what's everybody crying about?

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By John Del Signore in News on November 24, 2010 10:58 AM

Comments [rss]

Christina Berg

If the person works for a living then you would feel dumb right? Are home-interest welfare tax?

PCJudo

If this were a civilized ation, this creature would have been sterilized prior to coitus.

potsmoker

arrested, no evidence, no charges, what do you have hate against the parents, unless you see guilt in brown people?

more $$$$$$ i love it, soak em...

you go girl!

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

maybe the baby will turn state witness against this numbnuts of a parents.

Potty Boy

Even if she were let go at the time she alleges she was let go, doesn't the time frame sound normal? Isn't that what happens when you're arrested on a Friday? She claims she didn't get to see a judge, but you wouldn't see a judge until Monday, right? And as to the health of her baby, as long as she's calm and respectful, the officers would see to it that she's taken care of.

inGODwetrustUSA

she probably did do something but the bronx da's office is to liberal to prosecute her ... her future kid should sue her for being put in a known drug location ... the nyc da's office will decline to prosecute even if a prisoner confesses they will say that an alien came down from mars disguised himself as the prisoner and wrote the confession while the prisoner was in the rest room or atleast how do we know that didn't happen so they can't go along with the prosecution

Christina Berg

The Bronx da too liberal, well they do prosecute that kid from riverdale who failed, not sure if the bronx da is really that liberal, if your black or hispanic and your friend gets shot or murdered, you would be outraged.

ProcedureTurn

As if welfare and food stamps werent enough... she wants $1 million. Typical ghetto mother. Pregant teen and no husband. That kids life is already fk'ed by virtue of her and her boyfiend. I dont doubt she was invloved with this drug nonsense, either.

Christina Berg

I don't believe in having kids you can't afford, but that's another issue.

tmz is evil

Typical ghetto mother. Pregant teen and no husband.

Yeah, just like Bristol Palin!

Love Your Life

A million??? What kind of cracker jack attorney did she hire.

Potty Boy

It's a boilerplate number they put on the lawsuit papers. Means very little.

ides_of_march

Even if she did do something, a pregnant woman should be dealt with differently. Regardless of the mother's actions, the life of the baby inside her is at stake and must be respected.