LA Mother Arrested, Charged With Murder After Infant Found Dead in Dumpster
A 19-year-old woman is being held on $2 million bail after her four-month-old daughter was discovered deceased in a dumpster.
A 19-year-old Los Angeles woman, Takiyah Babers, has been arrested on suspicion of murder after her four-month-old daughter, Luna, was found dead in a dumpster. Babers is currently being held on $2 million bail.
The infant's body was discovered on the night of September 28 in a dumpster on Alba Street, located approximately 4.5 miles south of downtown Los Angeles.
A neighbor, Martha Jimenez, reportedly found the baby while searching the trash for recyclables. Jimenez noticed an unusually heavy laundry bag and upon closer inspection, discovered baby Luna. She immediately contacted emergency services. Paramedics transported the infant to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Babers's foster father, Herman Johnson, expressed profound grief upon learning of the infant's discovery. Johnson stated that when he was informed on the morning of September 29 that an infant had been found in a trash container, he confronted Babers. Initially, she allegedly told him the baby was asleep, but later changed her story, claiming the infant was with the baby's father. "I have a hole in my soul; I can't believe that this even happened," Johnson told Fox11.
Babers's foster mother, Laura Lacey, also shared her devastation. "I miss my grandbaby, my whole house is hurt," Lacey told NBCLA.
A vigil for Luna was held on September 30 at the same dumpster where her body was found. The site has since been adorned with candles, balloons, flowers, and images of the infant.
Van R. Babers, the biological father of Takiyah Babers and Luna's grandfather, expressed shock and confusion at the vigil. He stated he was still trying to understand how his daughter could have committed such an act. "The little baby was just precious like all babies," Van told KTLA 5. "It's a total surprise to me that this could even take place at her hands because what happened is so different than the way she was throughout life."
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed on September 29 that the investigation into the infant's death is ongoing and asked anyone with information to contact the LAPD’s Abused Child Unit, Juvenile Division.