Man Stayed With Newborn After Mother Gave Birth In River Wash & Ran Away, Cops Say

A homeless man called authorities and remained with a newborn after he says the baby's mother gave birth in a river wash and ran away.

Deputies say a transient man called 9-1-1 at about 5:50 a.m. this morning to report a homeless woman giving birth in a river wash behind the Metrolink Station near Via Princessa and Whites Canyon Road in Santa Clarita, KHTS reports. When authorities arrived, they found the man with the newborn baby girl, and he told them that the mother had taken off into the wash after the delivery.

Deputies located the mother hiding in a tree at about 6:45 a.m. Both the mother and her daughter were transported to the Henry Mayo Hospital. Both are in good condition, KTLA reports. The mother will likely be charged with child endangerment, according to Detective Thomas Brooks of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station.

This incident follows another similar case happened last Tuesday. A newborn baby boy with his umbilical cord still attached was found in an abandoned stroller in South L.A. Belen Ramirez, 20, was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of child endangerment. The baby is in the care of the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services. Authorities do not know why Ramirez allegedly abandoned her baby.

In California, a mother can legally leave her baby at a fire station, hospital or approved location up to 72 hours after the child's birth under the Safely Surrendered Baby Law. Since the law was adopted in 2001, 685 babies have been surrendered, including 73 babies in 2014 alone.