An Armstrong County woman has been charged with criminal homicide and abuse of a corpse after police found three dead infants in her former residence.

Jessica Mauthe, 39, of Ford City, is being held in Armstrong County jail without bail.

According to an affidavit, state police were called to a vacant Cadogan Township home Saturday to assist the South Buffalo Police Department with its investigation into a possible dead infant. Mauthe had been evicted from the home in August, police said.

According to police, the property’s owner was cleaning the residence when he discovered a trash bag with a foul odor. After discovering something decomposing inside, the owner contacted police.

South Buffalo police and the Armstrong County Coroner’s Office responded and confirmed a dead infant was inside the bag. State police said two containers were located in the attic with trash bags containing two other suspected dead infants.

According to the affidavit, state police then interviewed Mauthe who said she had birthed the infant a year prior. Police said she recalled the baby was making noises before she suffocated it and put it in an upstairs bedroom closet.

Police said Mauthe told troopers she had birthed two other infants who also were suffocated and placed in plastic bags before being put in totes in the attic.

The owner of the property told police Mauthe was the previous tenant, saying she was evicted Aug. 14 and he’d changed the locks Aug. 30.

Mauthe’s preliminary hearing in front of District Judge J. Gary DeComo is set for 9:30 a.m. Sept. 23.