Mother of Abandoned Baby Arrested For Child Endangerment Allegations

Originally published by The Associated Press, February 6, 2002

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A woman who tucked her baby boy in a shopping bag and allegedly left him in a hospital parking lot was arrested by police who tracked her down after finding a store receipt in the bag.

Authorities arrested Rosemary Guiterrez, 26, of Los Angeles on Tuesday. She is being held for investigation of child endangerment. Guiterrez faces possible criminal charges because she abandoned her baby, police said.

A new state law allows parents to leave their newborns within 72 hours of delivery at hospitals with no questions asked. But the new law does not apply to Guiterrez, police said.

"The law is that the baby has to be taken into the hospital," said Sgt. Cory Palka of the Los Angeles Police Department.

The baby was found Monday by an employee in the hospital parking in Los Angeles' West Hills neighborhood.

Police said they found the mother, who lived about a mile from the hospital, through a receipt for a gift certificate found in the bag. Investigators traced the credit card to a 63-year-old woman who has three daughters, one of whom is Guiterrez.

The birth apparently took place at the home and Guiterrez admitted that she abandoned the child, Palka said.

The county Department of Children and Family Services has temporary custody of the infant.