Editorials

Oakland police hunting for parents of abandoned baby

Monday July 22, 2002

OAKLAND— Police were searching Sunday for the parents of a newborn baby who was found dehydrated but alive in a garbage bag in the city’s Fruitvale district. 

The infant was in stable condition Sunday at Children’s Hospital in Oakland, according to a hospital spokeswoman. The newborn girl was treated with antibiotics. 

Oakland police Sgt. Paul Figueroa said the baby was found just hours after birth about 2 a.m. with her umbilical cord still attached.  

She was wrapped in clothing and did not appear premature. 

Figueroa said the baby’s parents could have taken advantage of a new state law that allows parents to leave babies at any California hospital with no questions asked. Since they abandoned the infant, they could now face criminal charges.