Abandoned Newborn Found On Street Corner Near Mall, Still Had Blood On Her From Birth

An abandoned newborn was found on a street corner near a mall in Lakewood, California, on Sunday. The Los Angeles Times reports that the infant was specifically located near Lakewood Center Mall at Hardwick Street and Lakewood Boulevard, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. A passerby discovered the infant when he was in the area.

According to the information obtained by CBS Local in Los Angeles, a 30-year-old man by the name of Mark found the infant girl around 6 a.m. after he heard noises coming from behind a wall. Deputies say when Mark found the abandoned newborn, she was laying on the grass covered in a blanket. She appeared to be only a few hours old and still had blood on her, another homeless man, Vance Cobb, said.

Mark was looking for recyclable items when the infant girl was discovered. He brought her to a fire station not far from the street corner. The Los Angeles County Fire Department say paramedics transported the baby to Long Beach Memorial Hospital; she’s listed in stable condition.

The plot thickened when a 35-year-old woman informed deputies that she assisted the mother in giving birth to the infant. She was taken in for questioning and detectives noticed blood on the seat of her chair when she stood up. The woman claimed to not be the abandoned newborn’s mother, but she was taken to Long Beach Memorial Hospital for treatment as a safety precaution. Following her exam, the doctor revealed that she’d recently given birth because the placenta and part of the umbilical cord were still inside her body. She’s being treated and is pending a psychiatric evaluation.

Detectives are investigating the incident as a child endangerment case.

A similar story was covered by Inquisitr last week when a newborn baby girl was abandoned by a woman in a Walmart parking lot. The woman handed the child over to a couple she allegedly didn’t know and fled the scene.

California is a Safe Haven Law state, which means dropping off a newborn at a designated “safe surrender site” within 72 hours after his or her birth is legal. The places to do this are at a hospital and fire station. No questions are asked and it protects the baby — as well as mothers.

Authorities are asking that anyone with information about the abandoned baby on the street corner contact the Lakewood Sheriff’s Station at (562) 623-3500.

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