A pregnant murder suspect should get out of jail because her fetus hasn't been charged with a crime and isn't getting proper medical care, court documents argue

• A pregnant woman wants to be released from jail because her fetus has not been charged.
• Court papers allege that the woman is getting "inadequate prenatal care" at the Florida lock-up.

An eight-months-pregnant woman accused of murder wants to be released from a Florida jail, with new court documents alleging that her "unborn child" hasn't been charged with a crime and is being deprived of proper medical care.

A lawyer alleged in an emergency petition filed last week that Natalia Harrell's fetus is enduring "draconian confinement" at Miami-Dade's Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where the fetus is being "unlawfully and illegally incarcerated on no criminal charges."

Attorney William Norris alleges in the court papers, which have been viewed by Insider, that the fetus' "constitutionally protected due process rights have been clearly violated" and that 24-year-old Harrell is receiving "inadequate prenatal care" during her lock-up at the facility.

"The State has placed the unborn child in such inherently dangerous environment by placing the unborn child in close proximity to violent criminal offenders," the court papers say.

The filing demands to have the fetus — and in turn, the mother who is being held at the jail without bail — immediately released from custody and alleges that any delay "can mean serious harm or death to unborn child."

The court papers allege that there "has been a lack of reasonable and necessary prenatal care for the unborn child" from the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation department.

The lawyer also alleges in the filing that jail officials "knowingly neglected" to bring Harrell to an OB-GYN physician at a local hospital and that Harrell's last visit with the doctor was in October 2022.

"It is a guess at this point whether unborn child will enter the world in 4 weeks or three weeks or less," the court papers state.

The filing alleges that jail officials "have even failed to bring the prescribed vitamins and nutritional drinks to unborn child's mother, Ms. Harrell."

The court papers allege that on one occasion, Harrell and another inmate were left in a transport van with its motor turned off "for an extended period of time" while the inside temperature reached over 100 degrees.

If the fetus is not immediately released from jail, the "unborn child will be likely brought into this world on the concrete floor of the prison cell, without the aid of qualified medical physicians and paramedics, and in the presence of violent criminals," the court documents allege.

Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation told Insider in a statement on Wednesday that the department "partners with Jackson Health System to provide healthcare to the inmates in our custody, and we are committed to ensuring all inmates receive professional, timely medical care and all appropriate treatment."

"We are conducting a full review of the health services offered and received to ensure that all prenatal care being provided in our custody is appropriate," the department added.

Harrell was charged with second-degree murder last summer

Harrell has been held in custody at the detention facility for seven months.

In July 2022, Harrell was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection to the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Gladys Yvette Borcela inside an Uber vehicle.

Harrell's attorneys allege in court documents that Borcela threatened Harrell and that Harrell "was in fear of her life and the life of her unborn child."

"When Gladys Yvette Borcela attempted to assault Ms. Harrell, Ms. Harrell in fear of her life and her unborn child fired a single round from a handgun Ms. Harrell possessed in her purse," the court documents allege.