Police still searching for mother of abandoned newborn found near dumpster in Riverside

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- An investigation is underway after a newborn baby was found next to a dumpster in Riverside on Sunday. The baby's umbilical cord was still attached, according to police.

The discovery was made at the Park Village Apartments at Jackson Street and Magnolia Avenue around 2:30 p.m.

Riverside police said several people called 911, saying they heard the sound of a newborn baby crying.

When officers arrived, they found the baby boy abandoned next to the dumpster. The baby was breathing and crying and was taken to the hospital. Police said he's expected to be OK.

"Our officers get there, they find this baby boy crying, breathing, still with the umbilical cord attached," Officer Ryan Railsback said.

Investigators said there was no sign of the mother or any information on who might have abandoned the baby next to the dumpster.

"We want to know -- is this mother OK?" Railsback said. "Obviously, if they just delivered a baby, they might need some type of medical care."

Riverside police say, ironically, the child was abandoned right across the street from Parkview Hospital, one of the many places where a mother can legally surrender an unwanted child.

"There are places -- fire stations, police stations, hospitals -- that are these safe surrender sites, no questions asked, that's the law," Railsback said. "You take your baby there, you just surrender them over, and you can walk away."

Riverside detectives are now doing what they can to find the person who abandoned the child.

"The baby, as far as we could tell at the time, was white or Hispanic, possibly mixed. It was a healthy baby boy," Railsback said. "We would hope that the mother would come forward, you know, no matter what kind of consequences there could be, if this is a decision that they're now regretting today, come forward, and our detectives are going to be able to help you with something. You know, number one, your own care, but with just figuring out this whole situation."

Police did not have any information on the identity of the mother, except that she was obviously pregnant until some point this past weekend.

Anyone with information is asked to call Riverside police.