Sheriff’s deputies are asking the public for help in the case of a newborn rescued after she was buried alive in a riverbed near Compton, reported CBS Los Angeles . Deputies received a tip Friday afternoon that a baby was heard crying in the riverbed near a popular bike path located between 136th Street and Slater Avenue.
#Newborn Baby girl #Abandoned and buried near Riverbed. #LASD seeks info regarding incident. https://t.co/65E8GuNaim pic.twitter.com/tO830le0w5
— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) November 28, 2015
When they arrived on the scene, deputies quickly located and rescued the newborn , who was buried alive in a crevice under pieces of asphalt and other rubble. She is believed to have been born within the previous 36 to 48 hours, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Marvin Jaramilla of the department’s special victims unit, reported ABC News .
“The baby was wrapped in a blanket and cold to the touch.”
Officials also confirmed Saturday that the blanket was issued by a hospital, and that the rescued newborn is listed in stable condition. After checking the baby’s vital signs, responding deputies called the Compton Fire Department paramedics, who treated the rescued newborn and transported her to a local hospital. She will reportedly remain under hospital observation for the immediate future as deputies search for the mother, father, and other family members.
“There’s indication that the child was born at a medical facility or a hospital.”
According to Jarmilla, some new parents are desperate and in extremely difficult circumstances, which can lead to babies being harmed or abandoned. To combat instances of newborn abandonment and child endangerment, the Safe Surrender Program allows for a newborn to be dropped off at any hospital or fire house within 72 hours of birth, CBS Los Angeles reported.
“A parent stuck in this difficult situation can safely surrender their baby at any hospital or fire station in Los Angeles County, no questions asked.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5uVBHJk14k
Chris Nguyen of CBS Los Angeles also spoke with Ryan McCrary, who said his mother heard the baby’s cry and contacted police, leading to the newborn being rescued. McCrary says his mom, Evangelina, heard the little girl while enjoying her daily walk along the riverbed with her sister, Angelica Blount.
“She heard a noise, sounded like a kitten crying or a baby so she went to look a little bit closer. She decided I guess to call 911.”
McCrary says the experience made his mother feel “really emotional,” and that she came home feeling “really distraught” about finding the little girl. Evangelina told reporter Cristy Fajardo of KCAL9 that it made her feel “really sad” to hear the baby’s cries.
“My sister said, ‘Can you hear a baby crying?’ And I said no, I don’t know. That might be a cat. And she said, ‘No, that is a baby.’ “
Compton resident Jesse Brew, who lives close to where the newborn was rescued and is a grandfather himself, was also distressed to learn about how the child was abandoned.
“I know we living in some bad times, but damn. They need to catch this person. You know, you need to go to jail. That’s the place for you.”
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Bureau asks anyone with information regarding the baby girl’s abandonment to call 877-710-LASD.
According to New York Daily News , a newborn baby boy was also found abandoned earlier last week in Queens, this time in the nativity scene at the Holy Child Jesus Church. Jose Moran, 60, who rescued the boy, said he “couldn’t believe” what he saw when he looked inside.
“I followed the cries. I walked to the little nativity home we had installed inside the church. The baby was wrapped in towels. He still had his umbilical cord. He was next to the Virgin Mary.”
[Image via @LASDHQ/Twitter]