Infant’s autopsy is unclear

An autopsy performed on an infant whose body was found Monday between two Santa Ana houses was inconclusive regarding the cause and time of death, police said.

Investigators on Tuesday were looking for the baby girl’s mother, who they believe may have lived in one of the houses in the 1600 block of East Palm Street.

“The investigation is still ongoing, and detectives are attempting to find the mother to determine what may have happened,” Santa Ana police spokesman Cpl. Jose Gonzalez said.

He would not detail what additional evidence had been found beyond a blanket and some clothing.

Because the baby, who appeared to be newborn, had been dead several days, the coroner wasn’t “able to tell us whether it was a stillbirth or born alive,” Gonzalez said.

He said testing would reveal more details.

Authorities were called shortly before 10 a.m. Monday after residents of one of the houses found the badly decomposed body lying on a concrete patio next to a dog.

Among those interviewed by detectives was Rosa Pedroza. She told The Times that the only woman of childbearing age to have lived in either of the houses recently was her niece, who is in her early 20s. She left several weeks ago after what some neighbors said was an argument with her father.

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david.haldane@latimes.com

tony.barboza@latimes.com