Police unable to find links to dead baby

SAN BERNARDINO – Police are still searching for the mother of a newborn girl found dead last month in a San Bernardino alleyway, wrapped in garbage bags.

A county coroner’s report was inconclusive as to the cause of death, a San Bernardino police spokesman said last Wednesday.

Department spokesman Lt. Jarrod Burguan said the county coroner was unable to determine whether the child was born dead or alive.

“At this time, this is a death investigation, not a homicide investigation,” Burguan said. “However, detectives still want to know who the mother of the child is in order to determine what occurred in this case.”

Those efforts have proved frustrating so far, despite the departments multiple appeals through the news media.

“It’s gone to press two or three times asking for help,” Burguan said. “We have had calls giving (information) on recent pregnant women, but have not yet been able to determine the mother.”

On Jan. 22, the infant’s body was discovered around noon by a woman doing some cleaning.

“She found the baby in a plastic bag (in an alley in the 4300 block of North Sierra Way),” Burguan said. “She was curious, looked in the bag and discovered the body.”

The coroner’s office said the female infant was thought to be Latina and was estimated to have been born prematurely.

When the baby was discovered, Burguan said the umbilical cord and placenta were still attached. The infant was stuffed inside several trash bags that were tied up.

“There is a safe drop at fire stations,” Burguan said, as well as other locations for those mothers who wish to confidentially surrender their newborns up to 72 hours after birth.

The Safely Surrendered Baby Law, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2001, is aimed at deterring young mothers from putting their newborns in danger by dropping them in trash cans or leaving them on doorsteps.

Those with information regarding the case are asked to contact Detective Pat Pritchett at (909) 384-5662.