A California mother has been arrested on suspicion of leaving her newborn son in an outdoor dumpster during a rainstorm, hours after giving birth, with the baby’s umbilical cord still attached, according to authorities.
Astrid Nohemi Lopez Ramos, 26, was taken into custody on Sept. 17 and charged with one count of child endangerment, the Riverside Police Department said.
Police said the case dates back to around 2:30 p.m. on May 4, 2025, when dispatchers began receiving calls reporting a baby crying inside a dumpster enclosure at an apartment complex in the 3800 block of Jackson Street, roughly 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
“Responding officers discovered a newborn infant who had been found moments earlier by a resident,” police said in a news release. “The baby was lying next to a dumpster, breathing and crying, with the umbilical cord still attached. The infant had been left uncovered and exposed to the rain.”
Paramedics took the infant to a nearby hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, according to KTTV, the Fox affiliate in Los Angeles. The station reported that the child remains in the custody of Child Protective Services.
Police said investigators believe the baby had been born “only a few hours” before he was discovered outside.
It took roughly a year for detectives who specialize in child abuse cases to identify Ramos as the infant’s mother, according to police.
She was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on Sept. 17, with bond set at $35,000. Jail records reviewed Tuesday afternoon showed she had since been released. Ramos is due back in court at the Riverside Hall of Justice on Jan. 12, 2027.
Authorities used the case to highlight California’s Safely Surrendered Baby Law, which is designed to keep newborns from being abandoned in dangerous circumstances. Under the current law, a parent or guardian can surrender an infant within 72 hours of birth at approved locations without facing questions. Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed legislation expanding that window to 30 days after birth, a change that takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
