The mother of a newborn found buried alive under asphalt and loose dirt near a southern California riverbed has been arrested.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department revealed in a Facebook post on Sunday that the woman, since identified as Porche Washington, 33, was detained last week after officers received tips from the public.
On Monday, she appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder and child abuse.
The baby girl was between 24- and 36-hours-old when two sisters heard her crying as they walked on a bike path in Compton on Nov. 27, per the statement.
The siblings called police.
The infant had been hidden under the path debris and was swaddled in what looked like a hospital blanket, reports KTLA. She was removed from the hole and found to be "cold to the touch," the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in the statement. Fire crews attended to her before she was taken to an area hospital.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Bob Boese said the child is now in stable condition, The Associated Press reported.
Police reminded citizens about the Safely Surrendered Baby Law, which allows people to leave infants at hospitals or fire stations in Los Angeles County with no questions asked.
A newborn boy was abandoned in the nativity scene at the Holy Child of Jesus Church in the Richmond Hill neighborhood of Queens, New York, on Nov. 23. The infant still had its umbilical cord attached. His mom will not face prosecution, however, after it was determined she had "followed the spirit" of New York's similar "Safe Haven Law," Queens district attorney Richard Brown said, per the New York Post.
Editor's note: This article has since been updated to include the mother's name and charges.
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