Police have arrested the mother of a newborn after the girl was found buried alive alongside a Los Angeles area walking path.
Porche Laronda Washington, 33, faces attempted murder and child endangerment charges.
Authorities say her newborn girl was found late last month when two women passing by heard her cries and called 911. The baby was pulled out from under pieces of asphalt and debris inside a crevice.
Acting on leads, police were able to identify and arrest the baby’s mother in Compton, California, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
Authorities said the baby had been born within 36 to 48 hours of being found. She was taken to the hospital for treatment, where she was in a stable condition.
Police said she was lucky to survive.
“We do know that if the child had spent the night there in those conditions, the baby wouldn’t have survived,” Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Marvin Jaramilla said.
Investigators said Washington was admitted to a hospital on November 23; she and her baby were released on November 26.
Since 2003, Los Angeles County has had a “Baby Safe Surrender Program” that gives parents the option to hand their baby 3 days old or younger over at any county hospital or fire station, no questions asked.
