Los Angeles

Newborn Boy Attached to Umbilical Cord Found in Stroller

The baby remained alone in the stroller for more than a day in an area that was about 50 feet away from where homeless people sleep, officials said.

A newborn still attached to his umbilical cord was left alone in a stroller near a church in South Los Angeles for more than a day before he was discovered by a homeless man, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Updated Article: Newborn "Doing Well"

A homeless man walking near the intersection of Vermont Avenue and Dana Street thought the stroller was empty when he first noticed it Monday night at about 10:30 p.m. He walked by the stroller again at noon on Tuesday and decided to lift a blanket that was covering part of it. To his amazement, there was a newborn inside the stroller.

"Something in me told me to check in it. I moved the blanket and there he was, a newborn baby boy," Alex Diaz said. "He seemed weak, like he couldn't even move no more."

Father David Matz, of St. Agnes Church, said Diaz is a parent himself and planned to visit the newborn later in the hospital.

Authorities are asking for the public's help to identify the mother of the boy, who may be just days old. They are also actively searching within the community for anyone who might have seen something that could lead to the child's identification. 

Details regarding the baby's condition were not immediately available.

Capt. Sean Parker said the LAPD is "looking at surveillance and we are knocking on doors to see if someone might have seen something."

Parker also said he wanted the mother to come forward so authorities can "see if she's OK."

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