A baby girl was abandoned in a shopping cart at a store in Lomita, California, a city in Los Angeles County, authorities said on Thursday.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) detectives have identified the baby girl, whom they say is between seven and nine months old, ABC7 reported. Detectives have also learned the identity of her pregnant mother, according to the report.
According to the LASD, a report was made around 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday of a child being left in a shopping cart at a business on Pacific Coast Highway. The mother had allegedly asked an employee to call for a taxi. Investigators said the woman went to the restroom while the employee called for a taxi, according to the report.
“When the taxi arrived, the woman left the store, leaving the infant behind in a shopping cart,” authorities said in a statement.
The sheriff’s department released a picture of the child on Wednesday, as well as a surveillance image of the mother, and is asking the public for help finding her.
While the child was initially placed with the Department of Children and Family Services, “detectives spoke with family members of the abandoned infant who identified her and the biological mother,” LASD said in a post to social media.
No further details were provided.
Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact Lomita Sheriff’s Station at (310) 539-1661. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.