A California woman who dumped her newborn baby in the middle of the road in freezing temperatures is still at large. Police
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Aurelio Fuentes Jr., a newspaper carrier with the Fresno Bee, spotted a baby off of the 35000 block of Avenue 13 ½ in Madera Ranchos last Monday. It was dark and cold outside, with temperatures reaching near freezing.
Fuentes called authorities immediately. While waiting, a Good Samaritan drove by and asked Fuentes to hold the baby inside her vehicle, where she had her heater blasting. A few minutes after, first responders arrived.
The first video shows the woman reportedly dropping the baby in the road a little after the five-minute mark.
https://www.facebook.com/MaderaSheriff/videos/533898850438394/
The Madera County Sheriff’s Office said the baby was taken to the hospital a little after 4:30 a.m. She was freezing, but thankfully alive.
ABC 7 reports that prior to Fuentes arriving, a man walking down Avenue 13 1/2 was stopped by a Hispanic woman driving a small, white SUV, who reportedly asked him to take her baby. The man said he refused but suggested she drop the baby off at a fire station or a local children’s hospital. The man walked away afterward.
The woman was possibly in her 20s but the sheriff’s department said her physical description is unknown.
https://www.facebook.com/MaderaSheriff/videos/1410393669137945/
CBS reports that police announced they now have “items of traced evidence” that they hope will lead to the woman’s identity. Authorities took the evidence to the California Department of Justice forensic laboratory where DNA testing will be performed.
Hospital staff guessed the newborn to less than 10 hours old when she was brought in last week. She’s currently being treated in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Valley Children’s Hospital, located near the incident scene. According to LA County 211, the hospital is a safe surrender site.
Authorities are investigating the incident and hoping to find the woman in the white SUV. Anyone with any information is urged to contact the Madera County Sheriff’s Department at 559-675-7770.
[Feature Photo: Pixabay]