Police are investigating the baby girl’s death as a homicide while authorities work to formally identify her and determine how she died.
LOS ANGELES — The mother of a baby girl who died after being found in a South Los Angeles dumpster was taken into custody Tuesday as detectives investigated the child’s death as a homicide, authorities and local news reports said.
The infant was discovered about 10:30 p.m. Monday in a dumpster on Alba Street near Long Beach Avenue in the Central-Alameda area. Los Angeles Fire Department personnel took her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Authorities had not publicly released the child’s identity or an official cause of death as of Tuesday morning.
Police initially said the baby appeared to be about 4 to 6 months old. Investigators believe she had been left in the dumpster within the previous 24 hours. The location is near the Pueblo del Rio housing complex and across from Holmes Avenue Elementary School.
A person taking out trash discovered the infant wrapped in a blanket and called 911, according to information provided by police to local news organizations. Detectives began searching the surrounding area for surveillance video and other evidence that could help establish when the baby was placed there and who was involved.
The investigation developed further Tuesday morning when family members arrived in the area amid concerns that the child could be their granddaughter. A couple told local reporters that they were trying to determine whether the baby was a child in their family. Formal identification remained the responsibility of authorities, and police had not publicly confirmed the infant’s identity at that point.
Police later took the baby’s mother into custody. Authorities had not announced criminal charges against her as of Tuesday morning. Being detained for questioning does not establish criminal responsibility, and investigators had not publicly described what role, if any, they believe she played in the child’s death.
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner was expected to play a central role in formally identifying the child and determining the cause and manner of death. Those findings could help detectives establish what happened before the infant was discovered and determine the direction of the homicide investigation.
Authorities also had not publicly released a complete timeline of the baby’s final hours. Investigators were working to reconcile information from relatives, evidence collected near the dumpster and any available surveillance recordings. Police had not announced an arrest on a criminal charge or publicly identified another suspect.
The case remained under investigation Tuesday, with detectives working to establish the infant’s identity, determine how she died and reconstruct the events that led to her being left in the dumpster. Additional findings from police and county forensic officials had not been released.
Author note: Last updated September 29, 2026.