Latonya Nichols

(KMOV) - A central Missouri mother is behind bars this morning after allegedly hiding her newborn baby in a closet for nearly a week.

Police in Boonville say Latonya Nichols, 32, never let anyone know she was pregnant for fear of losing government assistance.

The baby is in critical but stable condition.

She's charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

Police say Nichols also confessed to a similar incident when she lived in Mississippi.

That baby died two weeks later and Nichols reportedly buried the child.