Search for Mother of Baby Continues

Investigators were still searching Thursday for the mother of an abandoned newborn found Tuesday afternoon by a group of boys near a Santa Ana apartment complex.

“We’re no closer today than we were yesterday. But now with all the media attention, we’re hoping that we’ll make some progress,” said Santa Ana Police Lt. Robert Helton.

Wrapped in a bloody towel and placed in a plastic sack that had been tied shut, the baby was found in a parking lot on Civic Center Drive.

She was listed in good condition Thursday at Children’s Hospital of Orange County in Orange.

The abandonment has spurred support in Sacramento for a bill recently introduced by Sen. Jim Brulte (R-Rancho Cucamonga) and Assemblyman Ken Maddox (R-Garden Grove) aimed at preventing such incidents.

It would allow distressed mothers to leave newborns under 30 days old at county hospital emergency rooms, police departments or fire stations.

Maddox has received at least a dozen calls on the matter from his constituents, and the number, he said, is increasing.

He hopes public concern will continue to boost interest in the legislation, which received little attention from lawmakers during the busy primary season.

“I think that these most recent incidents . . . have really brought this home for the people of Orange County,” Maddox said.