Girl, 16, Arrested in Abandonment Case

A 16-year-old believed to be the mother of a newborn girl found in a dumpster was arrested Friday, then released to the custody of her parents.

National City Police Lt. Tom Deese said the teen-ager lives on the same block of Pleasant Lane in the eastern section of the city where the baby was found Thursday. The infant was reported to be in stable condition Friday at Sharp Memorial Hospital.

Police said the girl was arrested on suspicion of attempted homicide, and that the case will be presented to the district attorney’s office Monday.

Deese said police have found a room where the child may have been born, and are investigating the teen-ager and people who might have assisted in the birth.

“We don’t have any indication the parents knew she was pregnant,” Deese said.

Calls from tipsters led police to the girl suspected of being the mother, Deese said.

Neighborhood children playing in the area heard the infant crying, and one of the children’s parents called police, who said they found the baby a short time later. She was taken to Paradise Valley Hospital and later transferred to Sharp Memorial Hospital.

“Right now, I think the baby is doing nicely,” Dr. Randy Randel said. “She has a little bruise on her head, which is a normal complication of the birth process.”

Randel said the infant, who was wrapped in a plastic bag at the time she was found, would undergo a few more health tests, but “the baby seems to be stable.”

He said it was difficult to determine the age of the infant, but she appeared to be a few hours old when she arrived at the hospital.

Nancy Harber, associate administrator of Sharp Memorial, said the hospital received about a dozen calls from people inquiring about the baby’s health and whether the baby was up for adoption.

Marilyn Laurance, a spokeswoman for the San Diego County Department of Social Services, said the baby’s destination will ultimately be determined by a Juvenile Court judge.

She said a worker with the Department of Child Protective Services has been assigned to the infant and, if the 16-year-old girl is the mother, would compile a report on the mother’s ability to care for the infant.

Child Protective Services must report to Juvenile Court within 48 hours, which might mean a “dependency petition” could be received by a judge Monday afternoon, Laurance said.

She said that, because of confidentiality laws, the judge’s decision might not be disclosed to the public.