Newborn boy found dead on Skid Row was dropped from fourth floor, police say

View towards the 500 block of San Pedro St., in Los Anvgeles.
A view of the 500 block of San Pedro Street in downtown Los Angeles, where a newborn was found dead Thursday. (Google Maps)

A newborn baby was found dead in a Skid Row alleyway after police believe he was dropped from a fourth-floor window Thursday.

The Los Angeles Fire Department pronounced the newborn boy dead in the 500 block of San Pedro Street around 5:30 a.m., after possibly having been dropped from the fourth-floor bathroom of a nearby building, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department said.

Bystanders at one point were performing CPR on the newborn, ABC7 reported.

Police then found and questioned a woman who had been transferred to a nearby hospital for pelvic bleeding at 2:30 a.m. Thursday. The woman was detained and released pending further investigation, police officials said.

No other information on the death or investigation was immediately available.

California's Safely Surrendered Baby law allows for parents or guardians to confidentially surrender newborns under 72 hours old to hospitals or designated fire stations without questions or penalty of abandonment. A medical questionnaire must be offered but can be denied. A parent or person with lawful custody has up to 14 days from the time of surrender to reclaim the newborn if they change their mind.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.