Baby Handed to Homeless Couple Near Skid Row: Mom Allegedly Runs Off, Is Later Arrested by LAPD
A woman handed off her infant to a homeless couple in the Old Bank District downtown in the middle of the night and ran off, cops say.
MSN Video The recipients of a baby boy.
Now the mom, identified as 21-year-old Jennifer Maria Edwards, is being accused of child endangerment. L.A. police say she was tracked down, arrested and booked.
Here's what allegedly happened:
... the woman rousted the couple, reportedly getting ready to turn in for the night inside their tent at Third and Main streets in the Old Bank District, and handed them the boy, believed to be about 6 months old, according to police and reports.
This took place about 12:30 a.m. yesterday, LAPD officials said.
The young homeless couple called 911, according to NBC Los Angeles.
Somehow, cops fairly quickly tracked down the suspect, who they said didn't appear to be intoxicated.
She was arrested. And here's the thing: In California, our Safe Surrender Program allows desperate parents to take their babies to fire or police stations, no questions asked. That deal was designed to prevent Dumpster babies and situations like this.
As for the boy?
Police took him to the nearby Central Division station and ultimately handed him over to the County Department of Children and Family Services, which could decide to put him in foster care.
[With reporting from City News Service / @dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
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