Associated Press
The trial began Thursday for the daughter of baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley, who is accused of abandoning her baby after giving birth in the woods in subfreezing temperatures on Christmas night in 2022. Attorneys for Alexandra Eckersley, 27, said she didn't know she was pregnant, thought the child had died, and was suffering from substance use disorder and mental health issues. Alexandra Eckersley pleaded not guilty to charges of assault, reckless conduct, falsifying evidence and endangering the welfare of a child.