Mom Arrested After 1-Year-Old Baby Girl Is Found Dead in a Funeral Home's Hearse By Escher Walcott

A mother has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a dead baby was found inside a hearse at a funeral home in Alabama.

At around 11:45 a.m. local time on Saturday, Aug. 9, the body of 1-year-old Blessence Pearl was discovered in the back of a hearse by the staff at West Gadsden Funeral Home in Gadsden, The Gadsden Times and WBRC 6 News reported, citing the Gadsden Police Department.

Police responded to the scene with their patrol division after being contacted by the funeral home, where they found Blessence not in a casket, per the outlets. The child’s death is being investigated as a homicide.

Terica Pearl, 29, who is the infant’s mother, was arrested in connection with her alleged murder at 1:48 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 10, and is being held at Etowah County Jail without bond, according to arrest records obtained by PEOPLE.

Funeral home staff had just returned from an appointment on Saturday when they noticed what initially appeared to be a doll in the hearse, but soon realized it was a baby, WBRC 6 News reported.

“I got a call from one of my employees,” funeral home owner Dantez Robinson told the outlet. “They were getting ready last night, we went out on a pickup and this morning we get back. He was getting ready to do some grounds work, and we got back to find an infant baby inside one of the hearses.”

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The Gadsden Police Department said in a statement, “The memory of this child will remain with us, and we will continue to stand for justice in every case, no matter how difficult,” per The Gadsden Times.

Lieutenant Dusty Ford added, “In under 12 hours, the investigation moved from uncertainty to an arrest,” per WBRC 6 News.

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Local mayor Craig Ford described the situation as “a tough case for everybody involved.”

“I’m proud of the way our police department went after the truth and got it done,” he told WBRC 6 News. “ An arrest doesn’t take away the hurt, but it does mean we’re one step closer to justice for this child.”

The Gadsden Police Department and Etowah County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Monday, Aug. 11.