Woman Arrested in Death of Her Infant Daughter

A 21-year-old woman with ties to both Los Angeles and Riverside counties was arrested Monday on suspicion of murdering her 11-month-old daughter and leaving her body in a baby stroller in a Moreno Valley field, authorities announced.

The woman, Dorika Clark, was arrested by Moreno Valley police after members of her family contacted the Los Angeles Police Department to express concerns about the baby’s welfare, said Mark Lohman, spokesman for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

The body of the infant girl, tentatively identified as Fatima Shabazz, was discovered Saturday afternoon in a field near Interstate 215 and Eucalyptus Street, Lohman said. There were signs of trauma to the body but investigators have not released the cause of death, Lohman said.

Residents in the area said they noticed the baby stroller in the field last week, but did not investigate; passing motorists on Saturday stopped to check on it and made the discovery, Lohman said.

On Monday, Los Angeles police detectives were contacted by Clark’s family and officers then questioned the mother, Lohman said. When it was learned that Clark lived in Moreno Valley, police there were contacted and the connection to Saturday’s discovery was made, he said.