Police booked 19-year-old Takiyah Babers on suspicion of murder after her infant daughter was found unresponsive Monday night.
LOS ANGELES, CA — A 19-year-old mother was arrested after her infant daughter was found unresponsive in a trash bin in South Los Angeles and later pronounced dead at a hospital, authorities said. Police identified the mother Tuesday as Takiyah Babers and said she was booked on suspicion of murder.
Los Angeles police responded to the 5200 block of Alba Street in the Central Alameda area at about 10:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, after receiving a report of an unresponsive baby in a trash bin. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics transported the girl to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Police have been investigating the death as a homicide.
The infant was believed to be between 4 and 6 months old, according to authorities and local news reports. Police said Babers was the child’s biological mother and was taken into custody without incident. Her bail was set at $2 million. Authorities had not publicly released a cause of death, and it was not immediately clear what evidence led investigators to book Babers on the murder allegation.
The investigation began after a person taking out trash discovered the infant in the dumpster. Police said the child had been wrapped in a blanket. The person who found the baby initially believed she was looking at a doll before realizing it was an infant, according to local news reports. Emergency crews were then called to the scene.
Earlier Tuesday, before police announced the arrest, investigators described the case as an active homicide investigation and said they were working to determine the baby’s identity and the circumstances surrounding her death. Police initially detained a woman for questioning as investigators interviewed witnesses and reviewed evidence connected to the discovery.
Laura Lacey and Herman Johnson, identified in news reports as Babers’ foster parents, told reporters they believed the infant was their granddaughter, Luna. They said they had seen the baby Monday evening before learning early Tuesday that an infant had been discovered in a nearby dumpster. Their identification was initially based in part on descriptions of the child’s clothing. Police later identified Babers as the biological mother of the victim.
Authorities have not publicly detailed how the infant died or when she was placed in the dumpster. Earlier reports said investigators were reviewing nearby surveillance video and trying to reconstruct the child’s final hours. Police have also not publicly disclosed a suspected motive. The filing of a murder allegation does not establish guilt, and the case remains subject to further investigation and court proceedings.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Juvenile Division is continuing the investigation. Authorities have asked anyone with information about the infant’s death to contact investigators as detectives work to establish the full sequence of events and determine the circumstances that led to the child’s death.
Author note: Last updated September 29, 2026.