Woman Suspected of Killing Newborn Son
Detectives have arrested a woman on suspicion of killing her newborn son.
Maria Legarda, 23, told emergency room staff at a hospital where she sought treatment Monday that she had just given birth at a motel and that her boyfriend had abducted the child.
A search of area motels turned up nothing, said Officer Renee Montoya. Police concluded the abduction was a fabrication. By afternoon, they found the baby’s body at a home in the 15200 block of Knapp Street.
Investigators said the boy was alive for an unknown period after Legarda gave birth. An autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of death.
Legarda was being held in lieu of $1-million bail.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
