Woman is freed in O.C. baby’s death

A woman believed to be the mother of a dead infant found in a Santa Ana yard last week has been released from custody because the time for which she could be held without charges had expired, authorities said Wednesday.

Michelle Jennae Pedroza, 20, had been held at the Clark County Detention Center in Nevada. She was arrested April 3 after a brief standoff at her family’s home in Henderson, southeast of Las Vegas.

“The time expired, so a decision had to be made to release her,” said Cpl. Jose Gonzalez, a spokesman for the Santa Ana Police Department.

Pedroza, who was released Tuesday, could face charges and extradition once the department’s investigation is complete, he said.

On March 31, two relatives of Pedroza found the badly decomposed body of a full-term infant on a concrete patio between front and back houses in the 1600 block of East Palm Avenue. A dog stood next to the body. A blanket and clothing lay nearby.

The two women reported it to police, who are investigating it as a suspicious death.

Pedroza had lived until recently in the back house, according to relatives and neighbors.

An autopsy last week determined that the infant was a girl but was inconclusive regarding the cause and time of death.

The Orange County coroner’s office is seeking Pedroza’s DNA to compare it with that of the infant and will perform toxicology and microscopic exams, said Daniel Aikin, a supervising deputy coroner.

Law enforcement officials cannot hold someone for longer than 48 hours without charging him or her with a crime.

“At this point, we’re not ready to file charges because the Santa Ana Police Department is continuing their investigation,” said Farrah Emami, a spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorney’s office.

“We have not been presented with the case yet.”

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tony.barboza@latimes.com