Dead Infant Discovered on Church Steps

A baby boy was found dead Wednesday morning on the steps of an Inglewood church, police said.

A priest at St. John Chrysostom Catholic Church, in the 500 block of East Florence Avenue, was preparing to open the rectory doors at 6 a.m. when he found the baby, said Lt. Mike McBride of the Inglewood Police Department. The infant was 2 to 3 months old and wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt and diapers.

The child may have died before being taken to the church, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. The cause of death is unknown.

Opal Elizabeth Jackson, 30, is being sought by police for questioning. Authorities did not say whether they believed she was the infant’s mother.

McBride said that it was unusual for parents to abandon babies several months old. Officials more often find abandoned newborns.

California law allows parents to relinquish newborns up to three days after birth to a “safe haven” -- typically a hospital or a fire station -- if they cannot care for the child. But officials were puzzled by the Inglewood case.

Church officials were also shaken by the incident.

“It’s a tragedy for everyone who’s involved,” said Tod Tamberg, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Steve Seyler at (310) 412-5246 or the 24-hour anonymous hotline number, (888) 41-CRIME.