A 26-year-old Riverside woman has been arrested more than a year after a newborn baby was found crying near a dumpster while exposed to rain, according to Riverside police.
Astrid Nohemi Lopez Ramos was arrested Sept. 17 and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of child endangerment. Her bail was set at $35,000.
The case began on May 4, 2025, when Riverside emergency dispatchers received reports around 2:30 p.m. about a baby crying inside a dumpster enclosure at an apartment complex in the 3800 block of Jackson Street.
Officers who arrived at the property found the newborn lying beside a dumpster. The baby was breathing and crying, and his umbilical cord was still attached. Police said the infant had been left uncovered in the rain.
Paramedics provided immediate medical care before taking the baby to a nearby hospital. Investigators determined that the child had likely been born only a few hours before he was discovered.
The case remained under investigation for more than a year. Detectives with Riverside Police Department’s Sexual Assault/Child Abuse unit eventually identified Lopez Ramos as the baby’s mother.
Police announced the arrest in late September, bringing a new development to a case that began with the discovery of the abandoned infant in 2025.
Court information cited in local reporting indicates Lopez Ramos was no longer in custody after her arrest. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2027, at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
California’s Safe Surrender Law
The case has also drawn attention to California’s Safe Surrender program, which provides parents and legal guardians with a way to surrender an infant safely at designated locations without facing prosecution for child abandonment under the law.
Under the current rules, the surrender window is 72 hours after birth. In Riverside County, designated safe-surrender locations include hospitals and nearly all fire stations.
California has also recently approved legislation that will expand the safe-surrender window from 72 hours to 30 days. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1628, known as the Keeping Infants from Danger Act, on Sept. 27, 2026. The change is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
The expanded law is intended to give parents more time to use a designated safe-surrender location rather than leaving an infant in an unsafe place.
The investigation into the Riverside case remains a reminder that newborns can be taken to designated safe-surrender locations for immediate protection rather than being left unattended.
Anyone with information that could assist investigators is asked to contact Riverside police detectives handling the case.
