Los Angeles: On December 21, 2004, at about 11:00 a.m., detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Abused Child Unit, responded to the 2900 block of Wynwood Lane to investigate the body of a baby girl found earlier in the day. A maintenance worker discovered the body of the infant in a crawl space under a building in the apartment complex.

It is not known at this time if the child was born alive and the ethnicity of the baby could not be determined immediately. Investigators are following a number of leads in an effort to identify the mother of the child and to determine the circumstances leading to the child being left in the crawl space.

Anyone having any information regarding the investigation is encouraged to contact the Abused Child Unit, at 213-485-4220. On weekends and during off-hours, please call the 24-hour toll free number at the Detective Information Desk, at 1-877-LAWFULL (1-877-529-3855).

This unfortunate case serves as a reminder that California is one of several states that have enacted “Safe Surrender” laws. Under California ’s law, a mother may, within 72 hours of delivering her baby, safely surrender the child to an identified location. In Los Angeles County, those locations include any Los Angeles County emergency room or fire station. The surrender of the child is done anonymously.

For further information, please contact Detective James Brown, at 213-485-2883.

This news release was prepared by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Media Relations Section, at 213-485-3586.