A 16-year-old girl has been arrested after the remains of two newborn babies were found in a garbage can at an Ohio home.

Cleveland police found the twins Saturday evening after a 911 caller reported finding two dead infants in a garbage bin at the house in the Buckeye Shaker Square neighborhood, Cleveland 19 News reported.

The woman, who made the 911 call, told authorities her 16-year-old daughter threw "the babies in the garbage" after giving birth to twins, police said. The caller said she did not even know her daughter was pregnant prior to finding the newborn twins in the trash.

Police believe the babies were found days after the teenager gave birth to them.

"Preliminary information indicates that the mother of the child, a 16-year-old female, had given birth to the babies days earlier," police said. "The mother was located and was conveyed to a local hospital for medical treatment."

Residents in the area reported hearing the cries of a baby Thursday, the night the twins were allegedly born.

One neighbor said they did not think much and thought the infants might be waiting to be fed.

"Now that I know why the police are here, it hurts," one neighbor was quoted saying.

"I've heard that the discovery was made by a landscaper that came over to do the grass," another neighbor said, adding he heard that the landscaper found the babies while throwing away grass clippings in the trash.

Police noted that the babies did not appear to have sustained any injuries before they were placed in the garbage can. The exact cause of death of the newborn twins is yet to be determined.

"The Cleveland Police Homicide Unit investigates all cases of child fatalities," Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.

The 16-year-old has received hospital treatment and is being monitored by Cleveland officers. Officials are treating the case as a homicide investigation but did not reveal whether charges were filed.

Representational image (baby)
Representational image (Source: Pixabay / Pexels)