A 7-day-old baby was removed from a makeshift tent beneath a California freeway overpass after sheriff’s deputies found the newborn living there with the child’s parents amid what authorities described as “hazardous conditions.”
Yolo County Sheriff’s deputies responded on Sept. 9 to a tip about a couple living beneath the I-5 freeway overpass near County Road 19A with their newborn baby, according to a social media post released by authorities on Sept. 17.
When deputies arrived, they found 48-year-old Fernando Esparza, 29-year-old Melissa Rivera and the pair’s week-old baby inside a makeshift tent directly beneath the freeway, the sheriff’s office said.
The parents were arrested on charges of child endangerment, police said.
Deputies removed the baby from the area, where the child was assessed by AMR before being taken to Woodland Memorial Hospital for evaluation, according to authorities. The newborn was later transported to a neonatal intensive care unit in Sacramento County for additional medical evaluation, the sheriff’s office said.
Child Welfare Services and Yolo County detectives responded to the scene, according to the sheriff’s office.
During their investigation, detectives allegedly documented several conditions they described as “hazardous.” Authorities said they found numerous suspected methamphetamine pipes, piles of trash, rotten food and sleeping accommodations that consisted of a dirt floor without bedding.
Detectives also found vomit on a mattress and feces inside a baby carrier, according to the sheriff’s office. The mother’s placenta and umbilical cord were also found in a nearby garbage bag, authorities said.
The makeshift shelter was located beneath the busy freeway, exposing the family to the constant noise of passing traffic, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities said the parents acknowledged the dangers of the conditions surrounding their newborn. The parents also allegedly told investigators they had been waiting to take the baby to a hospital for an examination at a later time, according to the sheriff’s office.
Because of the immediate safety concerns, law enforcement placed the baby into protective custody, according to authorities.
Rivera appeared in Yolo County Superior Court on Sept. 16 for a hearing on a child endangerment charge, according to a court document reviewed by PEOPLE. She pleaded not guilty and was released from custody under court supervision. Her next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 13.
No additional information about Esparza’s custody status was immediately available.
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