Baby dies after birth in city park; mother arrested

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KABC) -- Riverside County Sheriff's deputies arrested a Thermal woman after her newborn baby was found dead in a park Monday.

Deputies responded to a report of a deceased baby found at a park on the 65200 block of Cahuilla Street in Mecca at about 7:24 a.m. Monday. An investigation determined the baby had been born and then died at the location.

A woman was found at the scene, according to the sheriff's department. She was hospitalized and treated for undisclosed reasons.

Investigating detectives identified the woman as the mother of the deceased infant. Thermal resident Esmeralda Gonzalez Martinez, 34, was arrested for voluntary manslaughter and willful harm to a child. She was jailed in Indio.

The cause of the baby's death was pending a coroner's report.

Get more Inland Empire News »

arrest, homicide investigation, inland empire news

• Comment Now
• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•