LOS ANGELES, CA – A 26-year-old Riverside woman has been arrested more than a year after a newborn baby boy was found abandoned beside a dumpster during a rainstorm, according to the Riverside Police Department.
Police identified the woman as Astrid Nohemi Lopez Ramos, who investigators say is the child’s mother. She was arrested Sept. 17, 2026, on suspicion of child endangerment and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center, with bail set at $35,000.
The arrest followed an investigation that began after the infant was discovered in May 2025. Riverside police said detectives spent more than a year working to identify the person responsible for leaving the newborn at the location.
The department published the arrest announcement on its official media and press release page, where the case was listed among its recent police releases.
Newborn found beside dumpster during rainstorm
The investigation began on May 4, 2025, when Riverside’s Public Safety Communications Center received reports of a baby crying inside a dumpster enclosure at an apartment complex in the 3800 block of Jackson Street.
According to the Riverside Police Department, officers arrived after a resident discovered the infant.
The newborn was found lying next to a dumpster, conscious, breathing and crying. His umbilical cord was still attached, and police said he had been left uncovered while rain was falling.
Paramedics immediately provided medical treatment before transporting the baby to a nearby hospital.
Investigators determined that the child had likely been born only a few hours before he was discovered. The circumstances indicated that the abandonment occurred shortly after his birth, according to police.
The infant survived the incident and was placed under the protection of authorities.
Detectives spent more than a year investigating
After the newborn was found, detectives with the Riverside Police Department’s Sexual Assault/Child Abuse unit continued investigating the circumstances surrounding his abandonment.
Police said the investigation ultimately identified Ramos as the child’s mother.
The department’s Sept. 25 announcement states that detectives conducted an extensive investigation over the following year before identifying her.
Ramos was then arrested on Sept. 17, 2026, more than 16 months after the newborn was discovered.
She was booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center on a child-endangerment allegation. Her bail was set at $35,000, according to police.
The arrest does not by itself establish guilt, and the allegation remains a criminal case subject to the court process.
Baby survived and remains in protective custody
The newborn was transported to a nearby hospital after officers arrived at the apartment complex.
Police said he was breathing and crying when he was discovered and that paramedics immediately began providing medical care.
The child survived and, according to the information released in connection with the arrest, remains in the custody of Child Protective Services.
The case therefore involves both a criminal investigation into the circumstances of the abandonment and the continuing protection of the child.
Riverside police have not publicly released additional information about the child’s current medical condition.
California has a safe surrender option for newborns
The Riverside Police Department used the case to remind residents about California’s Safely Surrendered Baby Law, which provides a legal alternative to abandoning a newborn in an unsafe location.
Under the program, a parent or person with lawful custody can voluntarily surrender a baby within 72 hours of birth at an approved safe-surrender location, generally a hospital or designated fire station. The California Department of Social Services says the law is intended to prevent newborn deaths associated with unsafe abandonment.
The surrender is designed to be confidential and without questions about the identity of the person surrendering the infant. California law also provides protections against prosecution for specified abandonment offenses when the requirements for a lawful safe surrender are met.
The state maintains a list and information about safe surrender sites through the California Department of Social Services. The agency says parents can take a newborn up to three days old to a hospital or fire station displaying the Safe Surrender logo and hand the baby to an employee.
California also operates the 1-877-BABYSAF (1-877-222-9723) hotline for information about safe-surrender locations.
The Riverside Police Department’s own policy materials similarly describe the law as applying to infants less than 72 hours old who are voluntarily surrendered at an approved site such as a hospital or fire department.
Police seek additional information
Riverside police said investigators are continuing to seek information that could assist with the case.
Anyone who may have relevant information is asked to contact Detective Jessica Iniguez or Detective Jarid Zuetel with the Riverside Police Department. Police listed Detective Zuetel’s telephone number as 951-826-8714.
The department’s official media page also provides current police public-information contacts and links to Riverside’s press releases.
The case remains active as the criminal proceedings move forward.
