Woman Arrested On Suspicion Of Abandoning Newborn At Lynwood Park
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A 22-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of abandoning her newborn son earlier this month at a Lynwood park, authorities said Friday.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the infant was found June 11 in a trashcan in the women's restroom at Yvonne Burke-John D. Ham Park in Lynwood. The Los Angeles County Fire Department arrived and rendered aid to the child born two days earlier.
Detectives reviewed security footage from a nearby business that captured two women walking on Atlantic Avenue, near an apartment complex. A resident of the complex said she believed she knew who the women were and directed deputies to their apartment.
When contacted by deputies, the women said they were the in fact the ones authorities were searching for and the pink stroller seen on security footage was located at the location. Both women were questioned by deputies.
During the investigation, the 22-year-old woman admitted giving birth to the child on June 9 and abandoning him out of fear. She said nobody had been aware of her pregnancy and she had only been in the U.S. for two months after coming illegally from Guatemala. She said the baby was the result of a sexual assault that happened in Guatemala.
The woman, who authorities said they were not identifying for her safety and protection, was arrested Thursday. Her bail has been set at $100,000 on a felony charge of cruelty to a child likely to produce great bodily injury/death.
The second woman was released without charges after deputies determined she had no knowledge that the other woman was pregnant.
Anyone with additional information was asked to contact LASD's Special Victims Bureau at 877-710-5273 or by email at specialvictimsbureau@lasd.org.
Parents who feel they can not care for their newborn children for any reason can legally and safely surrender their child within 72 hours of birth at any hospital or fire station in Los Angeles County, no questions asked, under the state's Safely Surrendered Baby Law.
Since the program was launched in L.A. County, more than 180 newborns have been safely surrendered. More information can be found by calling 1-877-222-9723 or online at BabySafeLA.org.