A 38-year-old woman was arrested following the discovery of a deceased newborn in a Victorville parking lot, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department announced Monday, one day after the baby was found.
Deputies from the department’s Victorville station responded to the area of Seventh Street and Green Tree Boulevard to a report of a possible dead newborn shortly before noon on Sunday, sheriff’s officials said in a news release.
When they arrived, they found the infant deceased in the parking lot, the release stated.
According to witness Lisa Marie Amador, the baby girl’s body was in the dirt near a wall by the parking lot. She said the umbilical cord was still attached, the newborn was covered in blood and a bag was above her head.
Amador described the child as “purple,” and said her hair “was frozen.” The girl was not breathing by the time she saw the baby, Amador added.
Detectives from the sheriff’s Specialized Investigations Division-Homicide Detail conducted an investigation and determined 38-year-old Teresa Reed to be the baby’s mother, sheriff’s officials stated in the release.
After being interviewed, Reed was booked on a murder charge at the West Valley Detention Center, according to the release.
She was being held without bail, inmate records showed. Her first court appearance was scheduled for Wednesday.
An autopsy would be conducted on the infant to determine a cause of death.
The Sheriff’s Department has urged anyone with information regarding the case to call Detective Michael Warrick or Sgt. Greg Myler at 909-387-3589.
Those wishing to remain anonymous were asked to call the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-782-7463, or visit their website at www.wetip.com.
