A South Los Angeles neighborhood has been left devastated after a four-month-old baby was found inside a dumpster late Monday night, prompting a homicide investigation and the arrest of the infant’s 19-year-old mother.

The baby, identified by relatives as Luna, was discovered around 10:30 p.m. near Alba Street and Long Beach Avenue, across from Holmes Avenue Elementary School.

Los Angeles Fire Department personnel rushed the infant to a nearby hospital, but she could not be revived.

Police later arrested Takiyah Babers, 19, on suspicion of murder. Her bail was set at $2 million.

THE DISCOVERY THAT SHOCKED THE NEIGHBORHOOD
According to local reports, a resident was taking out the trash when she noticed a black bag inside the dumpster.

At first, she reportedly thought she was looking at a doll.

She soon realized it was a baby and neighbors called 911.

Emergency responders arrived and attempted to save the infant before transporting her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The discovery left residents struggling to understand what had happened.

The neighborhood is described by residents as a family-oriented community where many children live nearby.

One neighbor told L.A. Magazine that she had seen police activity in the area before but had never witnessed anything involving a child of this nature.

FAMILY BELIEVES THE BABY WAS LUNA
The infant was initially not publicly identified by police.

That changed as relatives began recognizing details released about the baby.

Family members told local media that Luna had been in the care of her foster grandparents, Laura Lacy and Herman Johnson, before being returned to her mother.

The grandparents said they had last seen the baby alive Monday evening, when they brought her to the apartment where Babers had been staying.

After learning that an infant matching Luna’s description had been discovered nearby, they rushed back to the neighborhood.

Family members recognized distinctive characteristics and clothing that they believed matched Luna.

Police subsequently identified Babers as the mother of the deceased child and arrested her on suspicion of murder.

QUESTIONS SURROUND WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE BABY WAS RETURNED
According to the family and local reporting, Babers initially gave different explanations when relatives asked where the baby was.

The family’s account described statements that the child was sleeping and later that the baby had been given to her biological father.

Relatives said those explanations did not match what they were discovering.

Police have been working to establish the baby’s final movements and determine exactly what happened between the time she was last seen alive and when she was discovered.

The biological father’s whereabouts and possible involvement have also been part of the investigation, according to local reports.

POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE DEATH AS A HOMICIDE
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Abused Child Unit is investigating the case.

Authorities said evidence at the scene led investigators to treat the death as a homicide.

Babers was arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody on $2 million bail.

However, investigators have not publicly released the exact cause or manner of Luna’s death.

Authorities also have not publicly established a motive.

Those details will be important as detectives continue building the case.

THE COMMUNITY HOLDS A VIGIL
As news spread, residents began gathering near the location where the infant was discovered.

Flowers, balloons and candles were placed around the dumpster, creating a makeshift memorial.

Neighbors and people who had never met the baby reportedly came to pay their respects.

For many residents, the tragedy felt especially painful because of the child’s age.

“She was a baby,” was the sentiment repeatedly expressed by members of the community as they gathered to mourn.

The vigil became an effort not only to remember Luna but also to support relatives who were struggling to process what had happened.

HER FOSTER GRANDPARENTS ARE GRIEVING
Lacy and Johnson had reportedly helped care for Luna from a very young age.

Johnson told reporters that the family had cared for the baby since she was only weeks old.

He described her as a beloved child and expressed disbelief that she had been found inside a dumpster.

Lacy also spoke through her grief, saying she missed her granddaughter and struggled to understand how such a tragedy could have happened.

The family’s grief has become one of the central human stories surrounding the investigation.

AUTHORITIES HAVE NOT RELEASED ALL THE ANSWERS
Several critical questions remain unresolved.

Investigators have not publicly explained:

exactly how Luna died;
when she died;
why her body was placed inside the dumpster;
what happened inside the apartment before the discovery;
whether anyone else was involved;
or what motive investigators believe may have existed.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s findings will be important in determining the official cause and manner of death.

Until those findings are released, some details circulating through social media and neighborhood discussions remain unverified.

CALIFORNIA HAS SAFE-SURRENDER OPTIONS
The tragedy has also prompted renewed attention to California’s Safely Surrendered Baby Law.

The law allows a parent or legal guardian to safely surrender a newborn at designated hospitals or fire stations within the legally specified period without facing criminal prosecution for abandonment under the law.

Los Angeles County provides information about designated Safe Surrender locations for parents who believe they cannot safely care for an infant.

In this case, however, the baby was four months old, meaning the circumstances fall outside the 72-hour period covered by the state’s newborn safe-surrender provision.

THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
The LAPD is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Luna’s death.

Detectives are expected to examine evidence from the apartment, the dumpster location, witness accounts and the medical examiner’s findings.

Police have also been seeking information that could help establish the baby’s final movements and determine whether anyone else played a role.

Babers remains in custody while prosecutors review the evidence.

A murder arrest is an allegation, and Babers has not been convicted in court.

LATEST UPDATE — OCTOBER 1, 2026
As of October 1, 2026, the case remains under investigation.

Takiyah Babers, 19, has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is being held on $2 million bail.

The infant’s family identifies her as Luna, a four-month-old girl.

The community has held a vigil at the location where she was discovered, while investigators continue working to establish the exact circumstances and official cause of her death.

For the neighborhood, the investigation has left one heartbreaking question still unanswered:

How did a four-month-old baby end up inside a dumpster — and what happened in the hours before she was found?

SOURCES:

LAPD Official Website