DEAD BABY FOUND IN GIRL'S BAG!

A dead baby found in a teenage girl's shopping bag at a New York City lingerie store was born alive and then asphyxiated, said police.

Police believe the 17-year-old gave birth to the baby at a friend's house.

Police were called to a Victoria's Secret Store in Manhattan after the remains were discovered by a security guard.

A security guard stopped and searched two 17-year-old girls after pulling them aside on suspicion of stealing underwear, a police spokesman said.

The guard noticed a strong odour coming from one of the bags and found the foetus.

The girls were arrested on charges of petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, police said.

One of the girls told detectives she was carrying the human remains because she had delivered a day earlier and did not know what to do, authorities said.

The city medical examiner's office said an autopsy was inconclusive and more tests are needed.

More serious charges could follow depending on the cause of death.

A spokesperson for Victoria's Secret confirmed an active investigation was under way.

An NYPD crime scene unit spent a few hours gathering evidence inside the store, which remained open for business.