The alleged mother of a newborn girl who was found buried alive under debris next to a Compton bike path was arrested on Sunday, according to KTLA.
(Update: The suspect was named as Porche Laronda Washington, 33, according to KTLA.)
The newborn, found November 27, was heard crying by two women walking along the bike path. They alerted 911, prompting L.A. Sheriff’s Deputies Perry and Collette to arrive and find the child. The deputies ascertained from the baby’s cries that the little girl, estimated to be between 24-36 hours old, was buried under vegetation and two large pieces of asphalt that covered a 2-foot-wide hole in the bike path’s pavement.
Sheriff Jim McDonnell said, “They heard what sounded like an animal making noise or a baby’s cry–it was muffled … She was wrapped in what appears to be a hospital blanket, and her face was covered with loose dirt.”
The mother was arrested by Special Victims Bureau detectives. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department gratefully announced that the arrest was the “result of multiple leads generated due to the public’s and media’s assistance in this case.” The mother’s identity and all other news related to the baby was due to be revealed Monday.
Los Angeles’ Baby Safe Surrender program states that new moms or anyone with lawful custody can leave a newborn at a hospital or fire station within 72 hours of the baby’s birth.