A heartbreaking investigation is unfolding in South Los Angeles after a four-month-old baby girl was found unresponsive inside a dumpster near an elementary school, leading to the arrest and subsequent charging of her 19-year-old mother.

The infant was discovered late Monday night, September 28, near the 5200 block of Alba Street, close to Holmes Avenue Elementary School. According to FOX 11, a local resident and her daughter were taking out trash when they noticed a heavy black plastic bag inside the dumpster. The resident initially believed she had seen a doll before realizing it was a baby and calling for emergency ᴀssistance.

Emergency responders arrived and transported the infant to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced d#ad.#

The case quickly became a homicide investigation. Police said the baby appeared to have suffered physical trauma, although authorities have not publicly released a definitive cause of d#ath.

The investigation took another emotional turn when the infant’s foster grandparents saw news reports mentioning that the baby had six toes on her left foot — a distinctive physical characteristic they knew their four-month-old granddaughter, Luna, shared.

The grandparents, Herman Johnson and Laura Lacy, reportedly realized that the unidentified infant could be Luna and immediately contacted authorities. They provided pH๏τographs of the baby to investigators and news organizations, while a witness who discovered the infant also helped confirm that the child appeared to be the same baby.

Investigators then focused on Luna’s biological mother, 19-year-old Takiyah Babers.

According to police accounts reported by FOX 11, Babers initially gave family members conflicting explanations about where the baby was. Investigators said she claimed at different points that Luna was sleeping or had been handed to her biological father. Authorities also said she presented an older video as if it showed the baby at that time.

Babers was arrested on Tuesday and initially held on suspicion of mu#der. Her bail was set at $2 million.

The case has since moved forward in court. On October 1, Los Angeles authorities reported that Babers was formally charged with mu#der and felony ᴀssault on a child causing d#ath.

Authorities have emphasized that the investigation remains ongoing. The exact cause of the baby’s d#ath and the circumstances leading up to her being placed in the dumpster have not been fully disclosed publicly.

The case has also deeply affected the community. A memorial appeared near the location where the infant was found, with flowers, balloons and candles placed in remembrance of the little girl.

For Luna’s foster grandparents, the investigation has been especially painful. They had reportedly cared for the baby during her short life, making the discovery even more devastating.

Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the infant’s d#ath, while the criminal case against Babers moves through the court system.

At this stage, authorities have not announced a motive, and allegations in the criminal complaint remain allegations unless proven in court.

Source: FOX 11 Los Angeles, CBS Los Angeles, NBC Los Angeles, MyNewsLA