Mother arrested in newborn infant’s death

by F. Scott Faulkner , March 5, 2010

REDONDO BEACH — The lifeless body of a newborn child discovered in a Redondo Beach neighborhood trash dumpster this week has led to the arrest of 24-year-old Santa Barbara resident Jessie Lauren Canfield.

Canfield was reportedly attending a party at a private Redondo Beach home, where she had been complaining of severe cramps and nausea.

The following morning, during their regular weekly curbside pickup rounds, city sanitation personnel discovered the dead infant in a neighborhood trash receptacle. The trash container belonged to the residence in question, located just blocks away from a designated fire station refuge for mothers needing to surrender newborns for immediate adoption and care.

Coordinated investigation between Redondo Beach and Santa Barbara police departments quickly led to the identification of Canfield.

Canfield had returned to Santa Barbara where she was arrested. She was transported back to Redondo Beach jail where she was booked on murder charges.