Infant Thrown Away, Body Found In Perris Trash Bin

PERRIS, CA — The body of an infant was found Friday discarded in the trash at a waste collection facility in Perris.

Deputies were called about 1 p.m. to the facility in the 1700 block of Goetz Road, near East Ellis Avenue, after a report of a dead body, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

"Upon arrival, deputies discovered a deceased infant who was discarded in the trash and found at the location," Sgt. Michael Hamilton wrote in a statement.

CBSLA reported an employee at the facility found the body.

It's unclear whether the baby was at full-term or whether it was dead before being dumped.

California has a law in place in which parents or people with lawful custody can safely surrender an infant within 72 hours of birth, with no questions asked. Most fire stations in Riverside County are "Safe Haven Sites" where infants may be surrendered. Learn more here.

The sheriff's department urged anyone with information on the death to call it at 951-210-1000.

The department stated, "If you know of someone who was recently pregnant and is no longer pregnant, but they have not been seen with a newborn baby, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department encourages you to contact Investigator Lucy Stutler at the ... Perris Station by calling [the number above] or by email at PerrisStation@riversidesheriff.org."

—City News Service contributed to this report.