Southeast : Hospital Releases Abandoned Baby
Ten days after he was found in a trash bin in a Lakewood alley, an infant boy was released Tuesday in good condition from Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said.
The boy was no more than 2 hours old on July 21, when he was discovered by a resident who heard his muted cries. The boy was wrapped in a plastic bag, his mouth stuffed with gauze and his umbilical cord still attached. His temperature was a perilously low 87 degrees.
On Tuesday, however, the newborn was doing fine after 10 days of hospital care that included antibiotics, said Lori Brandt, hospital spokeswoman. He was released to the county Department of Children’s Services for placement in foster care.
Sheriff’s Detective Dan Scott said officers are still searching for a carload of people seen in the alley about 30 minutes before the baby was found. Witnesses told investigators that one of two women in the back seat appeared to be crying, Scott said.
“We want to find anyone who knows about this boy,” the detective said. “He deserves more than a trash bin for his heritage.”
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