A McDonald’s cashier is facing an attempted murder charge after giving birth to a boy while at work and then trying to flush the newborn down a toilet inside the Redwood City restaurant, prosecutors said.

Sarah Lockner was working as a cashier at the McDonald’s restaurant on Chestnut Street on the evening of Sept. 4 when she complained of stomach pain, according to the San Mateo County district attorney’s office.

During her night shift, prosecutors said, the 25-year-old Redwood City woman visited the restaurant’s bathroom multiple times, to the concern of a co-worker.

When the co-worker entered the bathroom to check on Lockner, prosecutors said, there was blood on the floor.


Lockner tried to dismiss the bloody mess and blamed it on a heavy period, prosecutors said.

But Lockner’s behavior had drawn the attention of a second co-worker, who also decided to check on her.

The second employee walked into the bathroom, peered over Lockner’s stall and “saw a newborn baby face down in toilet bowl,” prosecutors said.

Lockner had her hand on the baby’s back, according to the district attorney’s office. The employee then heard the toilet flush.


Lockner pleaded with her co-worker, asking her not to call police, prosecutors said.

Police arrived later to find the baby in Lockner’s arms, San Mateo County Dist. Atty. Steve Wagstaffe told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday.

The baby had no pulse and was not breathing, so officers performed CPR and rushed the infant to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto, he said.

The infant is alive and in stable condition, but the extent of the baby’s brain injuries was not known, Wagstaffe said.


Lockner claimed she didn’t know she was pregnant, prosecutors said.

She has been charged with felony child abuse and inflicting great bodily injury, along with the attempted murder charge, prosecutors said.

Lockner is scheduled to be arraigned in San Mateo County court on Sept. 18. She is being held on $11 million bail.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com


Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA

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