LOS ANGELES, Nov. 29 (UPI) — A newborn was rescued after being buried alive under the asphalt of a walkway and bike path in Compton, Calif., police said.
The crying of the baby was heard by two women walking along the path late Friday afternoon. One of the women, Evangelina McCrary heard the baby first. Her sister, Angelica Blount, told her it sounded like a cat. McCrary insisted it was a baby. But the sisters could not locate where the sound was coming from and called 911.
Sheriff’s deputies combed the area and found the newborn, deliberately buried under debris and pieces of asphalt in a small crevice at the edge of the path. The officers pulled the newborn baby girl out and checked her vitals.
“The baby was wrapped in a blanket and cold to the touch,” said Los Angeles Sheriff’s Dept. Sgt. Marvin Jaramilla “There’s indications that the child was born at a medical facility or at a hospital…because of the blanket.”
The newborn was taken to the hospital where she remains for observation. Police said the girl was 36-48 hours old. Police are looking for the parents, who, if found, will face attempted murder and child endangerment charges.
“We do know that if the child had spent the night there in those conditions the baby wouldn’t have survived,” Jaramilla said.
Los Angeles, like many cities, has a baby surrender program where new parents can surrender the newborn to a fire station or hospital safely, without fear of prosecution.
