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NYPD: Manhattan Woman Charged With Performing Self-Abortion

NEW YORK (CBS New York/AP) -- Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly announced Thursday that a Manhattan woman has been charged with self abortion.

Yaribely Almonte, 20, is accused of wrapping the fetus of her unborn daughter in plastic and dumping it in a garbage bin outside of her West 191st Street apartment.

Authorities are investigating whether the woman ended her pregnancy by drinking an herbal concoction billed as an abortion-causing tea, a person familiar with the case told The Associated Press Thursday.

The body was found on Tuesday by the building superintendent, who was sorting recyclables, police said. Almonte was arrested and charged on Wednesday night.

Under New York state law, an abortion can only be performed on a fetus older than 24 weeks if the procedure is necessary to save the woman's life.

The Medical Examiner has yet to determine the cause of death. Almonte was released with an order to appear in court in January.

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