Watch CBS News

LAPD Searches For Newborn After Bloodied Woman Tells Bystander She Just Gave Birth

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A woman found bleeding profusely on an L.A. street said she had just given birth. She was rushed to an emergency room, where doctors confirmed it.

But the baby was nowhere to be found.

That's when detectives began to scour the area for any sign of the newborn, sifting through dumpsters and searching alleyways.

After several hours, their search turned up empty.

"I cannot understand none of it. None of it," said Mary Haraway, who happened upon the woman just before noon Thursday as she was sitting on a curb at Maple Avenue and Wall Street.

"She was telling me she was OK, she was OK. I said 'You're not OK. You need to go to the hospital,'" Haraway said.

"Did you ask her where the baby was?" CBS2/KCAL9's Rachel Kim asked.

"Yes, and she told me not to worry about it," Haraway said. "I'm just concerned about the baby, if the baby is OK."

Investigators say if the baby was stillborn or was given away, no crime was committed. But if the woman discarded the baby while it was alive, she could face murder charges.

The LAPD's Abused Child Unit is now investigating the case and detectives will have to wait until the woman is out of surgery to get some answers.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.