Venissa Maldonado, a 25-year-old woman from California, was apprehended after allegedly discarding her recently born baby inside a bin at a Chevron gas station restroom.
Sgt. Ryan O’Neil, a spokesperson for the Fullerton Police Department, reported that during questioning with detectives it was established that the newborn belonged to her. The sergeant further noted that it is yet to be established whether Maldonado gave birth inside the lavatory or not.
When an employee at the gas station contacted the police, officers arrived at the scene to find the infant wailing in the trash can. Consequently, the Fullerton Fire Department was called in to provide life-saving procedures and the baby was transported to a medical center where he is in critical yet stable condition.
Early Friday morning, law enforcement officers served a search warrant at a Fullerton apartment, resulting in Maldonado’s arrest. California has a Safely Surrendered Baby Law, which allows parents to legally surrender newborns at fire or police stations or other designated sites within 72 hours of birth without facing prosecution.