Police identified the 26-year-old woman after a yearlong investigation into the discovery of a newborn left outside in the rain.
RIVERSIDE, CA — A 26-year-old Riverside woman has been arrested on suspicion of child endangerment more than a year after a newborn was found alive beside a dumpster at an apartment complex, police said.
The Riverside Police Department identified the woman as Astrid Nohemi Lopez Ramos. Police said detectives determined she was the child’s mother during an investigation that began after the infant was discovered May 4, 2025. Lopez Ramos was arrested Sept. 17 and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center, according to police. Her bail was set at $35,000.
The case began about 2:30 p.m. when Riverside’s public safety communications center received reports of a baby crying in a dumpster enclosure at an apartment complex in the 3800 block of Jackson Street. Officers who responded found that a resident had discovered the newborn moments earlier.
Police said the infant was lying next to a dumpster, breathing and crying, with the umbilical cord still attached. The baby had been left uncovered while it was raining. Investigators believed the child had been born only hours before being found.
Paramedics took the newborn to a hospital for treatment. Authorities have not publicly provided a detailed update on the child’s current condition in the reports reviewed for this story.
Detectives assigned to the Riverside Police Department’s sexual assault and child abuse unit investigated the case over the following year. Police said that work ultimately led investigators to identify Lopez Ramos as the baby’s mother. Authorities have not publicly detailed the evidence they say connected her to the child or explained why the investigation took more than a year before an arrest was made.
The arrest is based on suspicion of child endangerment. An arrest does not establish guilt, and the publicly available reports reviewed for this story did not establish whether prosecutors had filed a formal criminal case or whether Lopez Ramos had entered a plea.
Police used the announcement of the arrest to remind residents about California’s Safely Surrendered Baby Law. Under the law, a parent or other person with lawful custody can surrender an infant within 72 hours of birth at a designated location, provided the child has not been abused or neglected. Hospitals and fire stations are among the locations that can serve as surrender sites.
Investigators continue to seek information about the case. Police have not publicly explained the circumstances that led to the newborn being left beside the dumpster, and a motive has not been established in the information released by authorities.
Author note: Last updated Sept. 29, 2026.