A mother accused of leaving her 4-month-old daughter in a dumpster in South Los Angeles was charged with murder on Thursday, officials said.
Takiyah Babers, 19, was also charged with one count of assault in the death of Luna Babers. Her arraignment was postponed to Oct. 30.
Luna was discovered around 10:30 p.m. Monday outside the Pueblo Del Rio housing project near Alba Street and Long Beach Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Authorities added the baby had been left within the last 24 hours. Responding firefighters took Luna to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Babers was named as a suspect in the case on Tuesday and arrested by LAPD.
The infant’s grandmother, Laura Lacy, her partner, Herman Johnson, had been caring for their grandchild. On Monday evening, they dropped the baby off at the apartment where Luna’s mother, Lacy’s foster daughter, had been staying.
Early the next morning, the grandparents rushed to the neighborhood when they learned the baby was missing. They soon received the news that the baby was dead.
“I think it was premeditated. She did this on purpose. No way you’re gonna call somebody to pick up your baby… and then you do this,” Lacy said.
“When I dropped that baby off yesterday… something told me that I shouldn’t have did it,” Johnson said.
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