Mother Who Abandoned Baby Charged

Attempted murder and child abuse charges have been filed against a 17-year-old who allegedly gave birth to a baby boy last week and then placed the infant in a plastic bag and dropped him out a bathroom window, officials said Tuesday.

The girl, whose name is not being released because she is a minor, has been ordered to appear in court Aug. 8. At that time, a judge will decide whether she should be tried as an adult. She will continue to be held at Orange County Juvenile Hall until the hearing, Deputy Dist. Atty. Joe D’Agostino said.

Police believe the young mother quietly gave birth to the child on July 17 in the bathroom of her family’s two-bedroom apartment in the 2500 block of South Rosewood Avenue. She was arrested that afternoon while attending summer school classes at Saddleback High School.

The baby survived and was discovered outside the family apartment lying in some shrubbery by his grandfather, police said. The man told police he heard muffled cries and went outside to find the newborn whimpering and struggling for breath.

He also told police that he didn’t know his daughter was pregnant.

Santa Ana police detectives are investigating whether any of her relatives had knowledge of the pregnancy. All had previously denied knowing she was pregnant, but police learned the girl’s father had confronted her recently about gaining weight, police said.

Police said the girl’s older sister, who is 23, had a baby several months ago and her father “went crazy.” He was extremely agitated that she wasn’t married and now had a child. Police believe the 17-year-old girl was pregnant at that same time.

“She was probably very, very scared,” Santa Ana Police Sgt. Bob Clark said.

Police also have determined that the father of the child is a man in his 20s who also lives in Santa Ana.

The baby, meanwhile, is still doing well.

“We have every expectation that he’ll develop into a healthy little boy,” Clark said. “He’s fine.”