Good Samaritans Rescue Newborn Baby Abandoned in Dumpster in 104-Degree Weather

Police tape in a stock photo. Carl Ballou/Shutterstock

A newborn baby was pulled from a dumpster in Stockton, California, amid scorching temperatures, said officials.

Temperatures in Stockton, located south of Sacramento, reached 104 degrees Fahrenheit on June 11.

Authorities said two good Samaritans pulled the baby from the receptacle at around 11:45 a.m. on Village Green Drive, Fox11 reported. The infant was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

A resident of a nearby apartment complex said he heard a cat or a baby crying and saw a bag moving, the report said.

The man called the apartment manager, who jumped in the dumpster and found the baby wrapped inside, officials said.

It’s not clear how long the baby was in the dumpster, Stockton Police Department Public Information Officer Joseph Silva said.

“As of now, the baby boy is doing well at the hospital and is in protective custody with child protective services,” the Stockton Police Department wrote on its Facebook page.

According to Fox11, officials located the child’s 15-year-old mother near the scene. She was also taken to a hospital for treatment, and police stated that she will face felony child abuse and endangerment charges.

“We’re at 100 degrees temperature, so this situation could have turned into a tragedy if that baby was left in that dumpster for any amount of time,” Silva was quoted by the news outlet as saying. “We’re calling those good Samaritans heroes.”

Police identified the two men.

“Meet the two good samaritans who we are calling heroes, John Pedebone and Troy Cooper, who jumped into action today and rescued a new born baby boy from a dumpster in the 5900 block of Village Green Drive. Due to their quick actions they most likely prevented a tragedy from occurring,” the police department wrote.

Meanwhile, the department reminded the public that newborn children can be taken to facilities in the city.

“Please remember newborns can be safely surrendered to any firehouse or hospital emergency rooms in the City of Stockton within 72 hours of birth without fear of being prosecuted as long as the baby shows no signs of abuse or neglect,” the department said, as reported by the Fox affiliate.

Baby Left in Middle of Road

The incident recalls the recent case of a woman who allegedly left a newborn baby with its umbilical cord still attached lying in the middle of a California road in cold weather.

Officer Alfred Medina holds the infant girl who was found in Madera Ranchos on Monday, Feb. 11, 2019. California Highway Patrol

The Madera County Sheriff’s Office was cited by ABC news as saying that a newspaper delivery person found the newborn baby girl in the early morning hours of Monday, Feb. 11, lying “on the center line of a roadway.”

“The newborn was discovered dressed only in a soiled onesie in weather just below 30 degrees,” said the California Highway Patrol in a statement.

The newspaper carrier reportedly took the baby into his vehicle to keep her warm and called 911.

The California Highway Patrol said that personnel from Central Division’s SAFE and Madera Area responded to the scene and “provided the newborn girl with a blanket for warmth.”

The baby was taken to Valley Children’s Hospital for treatment and is doing well, according to the CHP statement.

Epoch Times reporter Tom Ozimek contributed to this report.