A newborn found crying and exposed to the rain next to a trash bin at a Riverside apartment complex in May 2025 has led to an arrest more than a year later. Riverside police announced that 26-year-old Astrid Nohemi Lopez Ramos was booked on suspicion of child endangerment after detectives spent months identifying her as the child's mother.
According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the infant was found crying inside a dumpster enclosure at an apartment complex in the 3800 block of Jackson Street at about 2:30 p.m. on May 4, 2025. The newborn had been left uncovered and exposed to the rain, and paramedics transported the baby to a hospital. Investigators believed at the time that the baby had been delivered only a few hours before being found.
A Year-Long Search for Answers
Detectives worked to identify the child's mother over the following year, the outlet's report notes, eventually leading them to Lopez Ramos. She was arrested and booked on Sept. 17 on suspicion of child endangerment, with bail set at $35,000, per the same account.
Police are asking anyone with information relevant to the case to contact Detective Jessica Iniguez at 951-353-7121 or [email protected], or Detective Jarid Zuetel at 951-826-8714 or [email protected].
California's Safe Surrender Option
The case has drawn renewed attention to California's Safely Surrendered Baby Law, which allows a baby to be safely surrendered without penalty within 72 hours of birth, according to the same report. Under the law, the infant must be left at a fire station or hospital.
Details on safe surrender locations are available by calling 1-877-BABYSAF (1-877-222-9723) or online at www.211la.org/safely-surrender-baby, per the report. Separately, Nevada County describes the law as allowing a parent or other person with lawful custody to surrender a baby up to 72 hours old, while the Alameda County Fire Department notes the law protects parents from arrest or prosecution as long as the baby has not been abused or neglected.
