UDON THANI, Thailand – Police have arrested two foreign nationals in connection with the death of a newborn baby girl who was found abandoned beneath a tree near a canal in Udon Thani earlier this week. The infant, believed to have been just over one week old, was discovered on June 10 in the Don Udom 4 community in Mak Khaeng subdistrict. Rescue workers attempted to save the child, but she later died, sparking widespread public concern and a major police investigation. Late on June 11, officers from Udon Thani City Police Station, Tourist Police, and Immigration Police arrested the suspects at a hotel in central Udon Thani after the Provincial Court approved arrest warrants.
The suspects were identified as 39-year-old Swedish national Karim Jaouadi and 29-year-old American national Braiyden Lennox, who investigators believe are the child’s parents. Police said detectives tracked the pair through CCTV footage and witness evidence before locating them at the hotel. They were taken into custody and formally charged. Authorities have accused the pair of jointly committing premeditated murder and abandoning a child under the age of nine in circumstances that resulted in death. Investigators argue that leaving a week-old infant alone in such a location would have made the risk to the child’s life foreseeable. Immigration officials also confirmed that both suspects entered Thailand as tourists through Suvarnabhumi Airport but had overstayed their visas since March 2026.
Preliminary findings indicate that the woman may have given birth without medical assistance in neighboring Nong Khai province before traveling to Udon Thani. During questioning, police said both suspects partially denied the allegations and continued to dispute key aspects of the case despite being confronted with CCTV evidence. Investigators reported that the pair became noticeably silent when shown certain evidence but did not fully cooperate with questioning. Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing as officers gather additional evidence and continue efforts to establish the full circumstances surrounding the infant’s death.
