Newborn girl found buried alive rescued in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES - Evangelina McCrary and her sister Angelica Blount were out for their daily walk along the riverbed in Compton, Los Angeles, on Friday when they heard a strange noise.

"My sister said, 'Can you hear a baby crying?' And I said no, I don't know," Blount told CBS Los Angeles. "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 McCrary.

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.

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."

Sheriff's deputies sought the public's help Saturday for information on the girl's identity.

Officials said they wanted 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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• Los Angeles