LOS ANGELES—A 1-year-old girl who died near Los Angeles International Airport was identified Dec. 26 by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.
Officers were sent to Sepulveda and West Century boulevards at about 10:10 a.m. Friday on a report of a “medical emergency,” according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The girl was identified as Yayra Estelle Rutherford. Police said the LAPD’s Abused Child Unit was assigned to conduct a death investigation.
Yayra was found on a bus bench, according to the county medical examiner. KFI reported that she, her sibling, and her mother were homeless. The other young child—possibly a 2-year-old boy—was placed in the custody of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, and the mother was interviewed by detectives, according to reports from the scene.
The mother told KNX News at the scene that she did not know how her daughter died. She said the girl was being fussy Thursday night and she gave her a small amount of Benadryl.
The woman told KNX she and the family have been homeless since June, and she was fearful about asking for help because she was afraid her children might be taken away.
