Description Is Released of Newborn Found Dead

A newborn boy found dead in a commercial trash bin in Laguna Hills on Thursday was a Caucasian with blond hair and blue eyes, authorities said Friday.

“We’re saying that the baby was born (a healthy child) between midnight and 8 a.m. on Wednesday,” said Lt. Robert Rivas, a sheriff’s spokesman. “He was dead for about a day (before he was found).”

Orange County coroner’s officials performed an autopsy Friday on the infant, who was found by a man who frequently picks through the dumpsters at the Saddleback Business Complex just off Interstate 5 below the upscale homes of Nellie Gail Ranch.

The man, who was not identified, called sheriff’s investigators, who retrieved the body from the trash bin. Witnesses said the child was wrapped in a white cloth and partially covered by debris.

Rivas declined to reveal the cause of death, saying that the release of that information could affect the homicide investigation.

He said that while homicide was a possible cause of death, the baby could have died from overexposure.

“We’re not ruling anything out,” Rivas said. “We are handling it as a possible homicide. But it could be natural causes; it could be accidental manslaughter or homicide. We handle it to the extreme to make sure we cover all bases.”

Rivas said investigators have few leads and are seeking the public’s assistance.

“We need help,” he said, adding that the baby’s mother has not been identified. Rivas said that she may be seeking medical attention for possible hemorrhaging.

“We need any leads we can get,” he said. “We are stressing the urgency.”

Anyone with information should call detectives Rudy Garcia or Tim Carney at (714) 647-7000.