SAN ANTONIO – An 18-year-old mother is facing a child abandonment charge after San Antonio police say she gave her baby to a stranger at a downtown bus stop and said she no longer wanted the child.
Police said Karla Ibarra left her son, who is younger than 1, with someone Sunday night at a bus stop near East Travis Street and Broadway.
According to arrest records, the person who was given the baby contacted police and reported what happened. That person told officers Ibarra said she no longer wanted the child.
Police said Ibarra returned to the area a short time later, but officers had already arrived. She was arrested at the scene.
Ibarra is charged with abandoning and endangering a child with intent to return.
San Antonio police are continuing to investigate what led up to the incident.
Under Texas’ Baby Moses Law, a parent is allowed to anonymously and legally surrender an unharmed newborn who is 60 days old or younger, without facing criminal penalties.
Parents must take the baby to a designated emergency infant care location, such as a fire station, EMS station, or hospital, and physically hand the child to an employee.
Some locations also offer Safe Baby Boxes.
Parents may be asked to provide medical history, but they are not required to share personal information.
For more information, contact the Baby Moses Hotline at 800-392-3352 or visit BabyMosesHotline.com.
Read more: Where can you safely surrender a baby in Texas?
Copyright 2026 by KSAT – All rights reserved.