{"id":467569,"date":"2026-09-18T05:02:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T05:02:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/467569\/"},"modified":"2026-09-18T05:02:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T05:02:09","slug":"california-parents-arrested-after-newborn-found-living-under-i-5-overpass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/467569\/","title":{"rendered":"California parents arrested after newborn found living under I-5 overpass"},"content":{"rendered":"

A newborn baby was found living under a California freeway<\/a> overpass with his parents in a makeshift tent surrounded by suspected meth pipes, vomit, feces, rotten food and garbage.<\/p>\n

Yolo County<\/a> sheriff\u2019s deputies responded Sept. 9 to a tip about a man and woman living beneath the I-5 overpass near County Road 19A with their newborn.<\/p>\n

They found 48-year-old Fernando Esparza, 29-year-old Melissa Rivera and their 7-day-old baby inside a makeshift tent<\/a> directly beneath the freeway.<\/p>\n

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A week-old baby was recovered from under an overpass in California. Facebook\/Yolo County Sheriff’s Office<\/p>\n

Deputies immediately removed the infant from the area. The baby was assessed by medics from AMR and taken to Woodland Memorial Hospital before being transported to a Sacramento County neonatal intensive care unit for further evaluation.<\/p>\n

Detectives and Child Welfare Services responded to investigate the child\u2019s welfare and documented what the sheriff\u2019s office described as hazardous living conditions.<\/p>\n

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Inside and around the tent, investigators found numerous suspected methamphetamine smoking pipes, accumulated trash, rotten food, sleeping accommodations on a dirt floor without bedding, vomit on a mattress and feces inside a baby carrier.<\/p>\n

They also found the mother\u2019s placenta and umbilical cord inside a nearby garbage bag.<\/p>\n

The tent\u2019s location directly beneath the freeway also exposed the newborn to \u201cextremely loud noise\u201d from passing traffic, according to investigators.<\/p>\n

With the infant\u2019s immediate safety in question, authorities placed the baby into protective custody. Getty Images<\/p>\n

The parents acknowledged the dangers posed to their newborn and said they had been waiting to take the baby to a hospital for an examination at a later date, the sheriff\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n

With the infant\u2019s immediate safety in question, authorities placed the baby into protective custody.<\/p>\n

Many reacted to the news online questioning the decision to remove the child from the parents.<\/p>\n

The I-5 freeway is seen in Yolo County. AA Roads<\/p>\n

\u201cWild to me you\u2019ll help the baby but not the parents, we live in a backwards society,\u201d one commenter wrote. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is so sad. That woman is living through hell. Thank God the baby was saved from that and will hopefully have a safe life ahead,\u201d another person commented.<\/p>\n

One person laid the blame on Gov. Gavin Newsom, writing, \u201cNewsom\u2019s California. This wasn\u2019t an issue 15 years ago\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Esparza and Rivera were arrested on suspicion of child endangerment and booked into the Yolo County Jail.<\/p>\n

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