KTLA

Baby abandoned in Los Angeles County shopping cart identified

Authorities were able to confirm the identity of a baby girl who was abandoned at a store in Lomita.

On Tuesday, the baby was left at a store on the 2000 block of Pacific Coast Highway at around 5 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.


Employees said a pregnant woman entered the shop while carrying the baby in her arms. She asked the worker to call a taxi and went to the restroom.

When the taxi arrived, the woman left. Moments later, workers discovered the baby had been left behind in a shopping cart.

By Wednesday, authorities were able to contact the baby’s family members and identify both the baby and her pregnant mother.

The infant, who is between 7 to 9 months old, was initially placed under the care of the Department of Children and Family Services as authorities searched for her family.

Authorities are trying to identify an abandoned baby who was left by a woman at a Lomita store on May 14, 2024. (Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department)

Details on why the baby was left at the store were not released. The mother and the baby’s names were not released. The incident remains under investigation.

Anyone with additional information can call the Lomita Sheriff’s Station at 310-539-1661. 

Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.