Newborn Boy Was Alive When Dumped in Trash, Officials Say

A newborn boy found dead at a Stanton recycling center apparently was alive when he was dumped in the trash, a sheriff’s spokesman said Wednesday.

The baby, who died of asphyxiation and not strangulation as was widely reported, “was alive when it was dumped,” said Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. “It could have been a pile of debris on top of the baby that caused its death. Any number of things could have happened.”

The baby -- partially wrapped in newspaper with its umbilical cord still attached -- appeared to have been dead for one or two days, Amormino said.

“We’re investigating it as a homicide,” he said.

An autopsy was performed Wednesday, but the newborn’s ethnicity could not be determined, he said. DNA testing will be done, but Amormino noted that a parent needs to be identified to determine a match.

The discovery was made about 6 p.m. Tuesday by workers monitoring a trash-transferring conveyor belt at CR Transfer Inc. in the 11200 block of Knott Avenue.

The nature of the company’s business could make the investigation difficult. “It’s a very busy place,” Amormino said of the center, which, in addition to Orange County, accepts trash from Long Beach, Cerritos and other parts of Los Angeles County, as well as drop-offs from members of the public.

“What we can do, hopefully, is try to learn the general area where the baby came from based on phone bills, credit card receipts or other mail” found near its body, Amormino said.

A man answering the phone at the facility said employees had been instructed not to comment.

Anyone with information should call the Orange County Sheriff’s Department at (714) 628-7170.

Times staff writer Mai Tran contributed to this report.