Over a year after a baby was abandoned by a dumpster and exposed to rain in Riverside, police have arrested the child’s mother. The investigation started on May 4, 2025, when Riverside’s public safety communications center received reports of a baby crying in the dumpster enclosure of an apartment complex located in the 3800 block of Jackson Street, according to a statement by the Riverside Police Department on Friday.
When officers arrived, a resident had just discovered the infant. The baby was found near the dumpster, breathing and crying, and the umbilical cord was still attached. The child was left uncovered during the rain. Paramedics transported the baby, which officials believe was born only a few hours earlier, to a local hospital. The current condition of the baby was not readily available.
The Riverside Police Department could not be reached for comment on Friday night. Detectives specializing in sexual assault and child abuse carried out an investigation and identified the child’s mother as 26-year-old Astrid Nohemi Lopez Ramos, a resident of Riverside. She was taken into custody on September 17 on suspicion of child endangerment and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center, with bail set at $35,000.
Authorities encourage anyone with information about the case to contact Detective Jessica Iniguez at (951) 353-7121 or Detective Jarid Zuetel at (951) 826-8714. In California, parents or legal guardians can surrender a baby within 72 hours of birth without facing criminal charges to ensure the infant’s safety. In Riverside County, newborns can be safely surrendered at most hospitals and fire stations.