Deputies Rescue Newborn Baby Buried Alive Along Compton Riverbed
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Sheriff's deputies sought the public's help Saturday for information on a newborn baby girl who was buried alive but rescued from a riverbed in the city of Compton.
Deputies from the Compton Sheriff's Station received a report around 4 p.m. Friday of a baby crying in the riverbed located between 136th Street and Slater Avenue, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Marvin Jaramilla.
Upon their arrival, deputies heard "a baby's muffled cry" and found the infant - believed to have been born within the previous 36 to 48 hours - buried alive under pieces of asphalt and rubble inside a crevice located along the bike path, Jaramilla said.
Deputies removed the pieces of asphalt and debris and rescued the baby from the crevice, according to Jaramilla.
"The baby was wrapped in a blanket and cold to the touch," said Jaramilla in a statement.
Officials on Saturday confirmed the blanket was hospital-issued.
After checking the baby's vital signs, deputies called for Compton Fire Department paramedics, who treated and transported her to a local hospital.
The baby is currently listed in stable condition and will remain under hospital observation.
CBS2's Jeff Nguyen spoke to Ryan McCrary. He said his mom is the one who heard the baby cry before alerting police.
His mom was on her daily walk down a bike path along the riverbed when she heard what sounded like crying. His mother was walking with her sister, at first, neither was sure what they were hearing.
"She 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."
His mom, he told Nguyen, "felt really emotional. She came back home to tell me. She was really distraught about that."
Nearby resident Jesse Brew, a grandfather, was upset to hear about the callous disregard for life.
"I know we living in some bad times, but damn," he said, "They need to catch this person. You know, you need to go to jail. That's the place for you."
On Saturday evening, KCAL9's Cristy Fajardo spoke to McCrary's mother, Evangelina, and her sister, Angelica Blount.
The two women were walking when Blount says, "My sister said, 'Can year a baby crying?' And I said no, I don't know. That might be a cat. And she said, 'No, that is a baby.'"
Evangelina was shaken by the sound.
"It made me really sad to hear the baby's wails," said Evangelina.
Officials want to remind the public about the Safe Surrender program. A newborn can be dropped off at any hospital or fire house within 72 hours of the birth -- no questions asked.
Detectives from the department's Special Victims Bureau asked anyone with information regarding the newborn to call them at (877) 710-5273.
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