Councilwoman In Bergen County Accused Of Stealing From Infant Death Charity: Reports

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A councilwoman in the Bergen County town of Hillsdale has been accused of embezzling from a charity that helps parents grieve infant deaths, according to a report in a Connecticut newspaper.

Abby Lundy was arrested by authorities Monday in New Canaan, Conn. after being charged with larceny and forgery, reported the Stanford Advocate.

NJ.com reported Tuesday that Hillsdale Mayor Michael Scheinfield said she had resigned on Friday.

Lundy worked for a non-profit called First Candle that helps parents grieve babies who die from strangulation or from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), reported the Advocate. The non-profit, which also works to end both types of infant deaths, is based in New Canaan.

The article says that the organization's CEO was notified by the IRS that they would lose their non-profit status because of discrepancies.

Hillsdale has a six-member Borough Council. The term for Lundy, a Republican, was set to end at the end of this calendar year.

Read more of the story in the Stamford Advocate here.

The Charity

Learn more about First Candle and its mission here. They note on their website, "Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), which includes SIDS and accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed (ASSB), remains the leading cause of death for babies one month to one year of age. Due to SUID more than 300 babies every month may not live to see their first birthday. Infant mortality rates in the U.S. are also higher than in the 20 wealthiest nations."

While suffocation can occur from any item where a baby is resting, SIDS is a separate issue that occurs when a child stops breathing with no known cause. Experts are still researching the risk factors and say that putting an infant on his back to sleep cuts the risk.