A four-month-old girl was found dead inside a dumpster at the Pueblo Del Rio housing complex in Central Alameda on Monday night, and by Tuesday, LAPD child abuse detectives had arrested the infant's 19-year-old mother a few hundred yards from where the body was discovered. The child's grandparents reportedly went to check on her after hearing reports that she had six toes.
Resident Martha Serrano Jimenez discovered the infant around 10:30 p.m. inside a black cloth bag, with the baby wrapped in a blanket, in the 5200 block of Alba Street while she was taking out her trash, according to a report shared on Facebook. She initially mistook the baby for a doll before shining her cell phone flashlight into the bag, then had her daughter call 911. Neighbors and an emergency dispatcher attempted CPR before paramedics arrived, but the child could not be saved. NBC Los Angeles reported the infant was believed to be between four and six months old and was found near an elementary school at 52nd Street and Holmes Avenue.
A woman reportedly believed the baby was her granddaughter and said her foster daughter was the child's mother, according to Readers.id. The mother reportedly gave conflicting accounts before she was taken into custody. After hearing reports about the baby's six toes, the grandparents reportedly went to the mother's apartment to check on the baby.
Homicide Detectives and Medical Examiner Now Involved
The case is being investigated as a homicide and child abuse matter, per Patch. Official identification of the child and the exact cause of death remain under review by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner. The mother was arrested and booked on a murder charge. NBC Los Angeles had earlier described the cause of death as unclear.
The dumpster was found near an elementary school at 52nd Street and Holmes Avenue.
Why Safe-Surrender Protections Don't Apply Here
The complex is also one of eight Los Angeles public housing developments enrolled in the LAPD's Community Safety Partnership program, which assigns dedicated officers to build trust in specific developments under a multi-million dollar agreement with HACLA, as reported by Knock LA.
Some readers may wonder whether California's Safely Surrendered Baby Law could have applied here. The law applies to infants 72 hours old or younger who are surrendered at a hospital or fire station, according to the California Department of Social Services. It would not apply to a baby who was already months old. The law was signed into state law in January 2006.
The case echoes another recent Southern California investigation covered by Hoodline's report on a Riverside newborn left in a dumpster enclosure, in which a 26-year-old mother was arrested this month after a year-long investigation into a May 2025 incident. That newborn survived after being taken to a hospital. As Los Angeles County forensic officials work to confirm the Central Alameda infant's identity and formal cause of death, questions remain about the timeline leading up to her death; her mother has been arrested and booked for murder.
