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WILKES-BARRE — A Carbon County woman was cleared of charges she concealed the death of a stillborn fetus found during a traffic stop by the Pennsylvania State Police in Hazleton.
Luzerne County prosecutors dropped the case against Mikayla Rose Sando, 26, of Beaver Meadows, citing “prosecutorial discretion,” while faced with a motion filed by Sando’s attorney, Nanda Palissery, who sought to dismiss the charges for double jeopardy.
Troopers stopped Sando for a vehicle violation in the area of South Church and West Mine streets, Hazleton, on May 18, 2023, according to court records.
During the traffic stop, troopers observed drug packaging materials inside the vehicle. Sando consented to a search of her vehicle resulting in troopers discovering a stillborn fetus in a bowl inside a plastic bag, court records say.
An autopsy by forensic pathologist Dr. Gary Ross revealed the fetus, a male, was approximately 21 to 22 weeks gestation.
Court records say Sando during an interview with state police claimed she learned she was pregnant at 16 weeks and intended to have an abortion, but ordered a pill to terminate the pregnancy and gave birth to a stillborn fetus at her residence.
State police in July 2023, charged Sando with driving under the influence upon results of a chemical blood test, and charged her with concealment of an unborn child in July 2024.
Sando pled guilty to driving under the influence of a controlled substance and was sentenced Sept. 12 to six months imprisonment and one year probation.
Palissery filed the motion to dismiss the concealing the death of an unborn child citing double jeopardy as the case should had been prosecuted at the same time with the driving under the influence case.
A motions hearing was scheduled Nov. 6 but prosecutors opted to withdraw the concealing death case, which was granted by President Judge Michael T. Vough.