Harrowing details have emerged in the case of a newborn baby found dead near a strawberry field outside Moss Landing, California. Monterey County Sheriff’s deputies discovered the infant’s body shortly after 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. The discovery was made after a caller reported an infant had been found alongside a rural road in the 100 block of Struve Road.
Firefighters who responded to the scene pronounced the infant dead. One of the first individuals to find the deceased infant, an agricultural worker who asked to remain anonymous, told KSBW that he “saw a lot of blood, and the umbilical cord was still attached.” The discovery was made next to a strawberry field in California’s Central Coast farming region.
A small memorial with flowers and two rubber ducks has been placed at the site where the unidentified child was found.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s office has launched a search for the person responsible for leaving the baby. The Sheriff's office has not yet returned calls for comment or provided further details on the investigation.
Local resident Carla Mata, who lives near the site, described the scene on Saturday as swarmed with law enforcement and forensic investigators. "It was packed with police. It was a sad day, honestly,” Mata told KSBW. Deputies questioned fieldworkers who were harvesting strawberries nearby.
Frank Sanchez, another local resident, expressed hope that the child’s mother would come forward, stating, “She could’ve had so many other options. But there’s no need for that. That’s an innocent baby.” Authorities have not confirmed if an autopsy has been completed on the child.
Separately, Monterey County law enforcement discovered another body on Saturday approximately 17 miles from where the infant was found. Police have not identified the second deceased individual or indicated whether the two cases are connected. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information regarding the newborn or the identity of the baby’s parents to contact investigators.