Police in Riverside Friday announced an arrest in the case of an abandoned crying baby found in the rain next to a trash bin more than one year ago.
Authorities were notified about 2:30 p.m. on May 4 of a baby crying inside a dumpster enclosure at an apartment complex in the 3800 block of Jackson Street.
“Responding officers discovered a newborn infant who had been found moments earlier by a resident,” according to the Riverside Police Department. “The baby was lying next to a dumpster, breathing, and crying, with the umbilical cord still attached. The infant had been left uncovered and exposed to the rain.”
Paramedics took the newborn infant to a hospital.
Investigators believed the baby had been delivered only a few hours before being found, and over the course of the following year, detectives identified the child’s mother, 26-year-old Astrid Nohemi Lopez Ramos of Riverside.
She was arrested and booked on Sept. 17 on suspicion of child endangerment, with bail set at $35,000.
Anyone who may have information relevant to the investigation was urged to contact Detective Jessica Iniguez at 951-353-7121 or JIniguez@RiversideCA.gov or Detective Jarid Zuetel at 951-826-8714 or JZuetel@RiversideCA.gov.
In a statement announcing the arrest, police reminded the public that in California a baby can be safely surrendered without penalty within 72 hours of its birth provided the infant is left at a fire station or hospital.
To find the nearest Safe Surrender site, call 1-877-BABYSAF (1-877-222-9723) or visit www.211la.org/safely-surrender-baby.