Child Left With Stranger

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Monday, October 19, 1998
On Monday October 19, 1998, at approximately 1:50 a.m., the Los Angeles Police Department was contacted regarding a possible abandoned child.

Devonshire Area patrol officers responded to a mini-market located in the 9100 block of Sepulveda in North Hills. They were met by a white male, 31 years of age who was caring for an infant. He related the following story:

On Sunday night, October 18, 1998, at approximately 11:00 p.m., he was standing in line at a mini-mart in the 9100 block of Sepulveda Boulevard when he began a conversation with an unknown man who was also in line. They briefly talked and agreed to go to another location to obtain drug paraphernalia. They both entered the man’s vehicle and left. An infant was wrapped in a blanket in the back seat of the car. Unable to obtain the paraphernalia, they drove around the area for approximately one hour, while the man tried to obtain money to purchase cocaine. Unable to get the money, the man asked him to care for his baby, Bianca, for about 15 minutes, while he went to buy Rock Cocaine. When the man failed to return, he went back to the mini-mart in the 9100 block of Sepulveda Boulevard and called the police.

The girl was medically examined and found to be in good health and was released to the custody of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.

The child is described as a female Hispanic, brown eyes, brown hair, approximately 10 months old. She was wearing a pink dress.

The person reportedly abandoning the infant is a male, Hispanic, brown hair, brown eyes, 5′ 4", 200 pounds, 25 years of age. He was driving a black, late model Honda Accord.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is requested to contact Detective C. Dragun, Devonshire Area, Major Assault Crimes, at 818-756-8291.

Update on this press release

For Release 2:50 pm PST
October 19, 1998