A two-month-old baby girl, Arya Rose, has died after her mother, Nicole Stasio, 32, threw her out of a moving car in Bali. Nicole then jumped from the vehicle herself in an attempt to end her life.
The incident took place at a junction in Denpasar, Bali’s capital city. While Nicole had been staying in Bali, she is from San Francisco in the United States.
South Denpasar police chief Nyoman Wiararajaya said the baby was found less than a mile from the scene, alive, but severely injured. She was taken to Madara hospital in Bali but later died of her injuries. Nicole received treatment at the same hospital, but due to her depressive state, police were not able to interview her straight away.
According to police chief Wiararajaya, Nicole had travelled to Bali while pregnant back in July. She had, to date, fielded off any questions about her baby’s father. While her parents stayed with her in Bali for ten days, they later returned to California. Nicole remained in Bali until she gave birth in September.
A tour guide and driver, Made Arimbawa and Wayan Siaja, who had accompanied Nicole and her parents, gave a statement to police. According to the guide, Nicole had given the impression that she was unmarried and her parents had wanted her to give birth away from home.
The pair took Nicole and her new-born baby to the Bali International Airport to return home to the United States. During the journey, Nicole appeared to change her mind, and they returned her to Ubud, a town that has gained a reputation for being a tourist destination rich in traditional culture and crafts.
Nicole sat silently in the car before jumping out while it was still moving. According to her aunt, Dove Jeans from Maui, Nicole had left the US in 2014 to travel around the world. While in Costa Rica, she had become pregnant and had planned to raise the child alone. She moved to Bali and spent five months teaching yoga as she awaited the arrival of her baby.
Dove said that Nicole had been looking forward to being a mother, sending photos and appearing “radiant” about the prospect of being a mother. However, Dove said she went “radio silent” once the baby was born. She stopped replying to emails and appeared to suffer from postpartum depression.
Dove said Nicole was a girl that didn’t fit the mold and wanted to be involved with nature. She wanted to help people and be a yoga instructor. While she was recovering from her injuries, it is not known whether she will return to the United States.
Police are unlikely to charge Nicole over Arya Rose’s death, due to the nature of her condition. Post-partum depression affects around 11.5 percent of mothers in the United States every year.
