Takiyah Babers, 19, was arrested Sept. 29 after an infant was found unresponsive in a dumpster on Sept. 28 on the 5200 block of Alba Street in Central Alameda. The child, reportedly four to six months old and referred to by family as Luna, was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. Babers was booked on a murder charge and held on $2 million bail. The LAPD Abused Child Unit asks anyone with information to call 213-486-0530.
19-Year-Old Mother Arrested After Infant Found in Dumpster Dies; Bail Set at $2 Million
Dumpster where a baby girl was found in South Los Angeles on Sept. 28, 2026Credit: Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times via Getty
A 19-year-old woman was arrested after an infant discovered in a dumpster in Los Angeles later died, authorities said.
On Sept. 29, the Los Angeles Police Department identified the suspect as Takiyah Babers and booked her on a murder charge. Babers was taken into custody without incident, and her bail was set at $2 million.
Police and LAFD paramedics responded to a report of an unresponsive infant in a trash receptacle on the 5200 block of Alba Street in the Central Alameda area around 10:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 28. The child was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Los Angeles Police Department Juvenile Division Lt. Dave Hoskins said someone dumping trash discovered the infant in the dumpster and called 911. The baby was found wrapped in a blanket.
Authorities said the infant was believed to be between four and six months old. Local reports and family members identified the child by the name Luna. Foster grandparents Herman Johnson and Laura Lacey told local media Luna was last seen at their home on Monday evening; Lacey said she first learned of the baby's death from news reports after the person who found the infant described the outfit she was wearing.
The investigation remains active. The LAPD is asking anyone with information to contact the Abused Child Unit, Juvenile Division, at 213-486-0530.
Note: Details are based on law enforcement and local media reports. Additional information may become available as the LAPD continues its investigation.
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