The Santa Ana Police Department responded to a report of a woman who was found lying on the street at 1600 W. Edinger last night at around 8 pm, according to an SAPD press release. Upon arrival, the police officers located a woman who had sustained major trauma apparently as a result of either being pushed or jumping from a vehicle that was traveling eastbound on Edinger near Raitt Street. Found near the woman was a young female child about 1-2 years old. Orange County Fire Authority and paramedics responded to the scene and transported the victims to a local hospital. A few hours later, the woman passed away as a result of injuries sustained during the incident. The identities of the woman (Hispanic 20-30) and child (Hispanic 10 months-1 1/2) is unknown Homicide detectives are conducting a death investigation. The vehicle involved in this incident is described as a dark colored pick-up truck that fled the scene.
The child, who is between 10 months old to a year-and-a-half, suffered scratches and abrasions and remains hospitalized in stable condition, according to CBS.
Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said that detectives were trying to determine what happened. “If this was a family member and a domestic thing, how could you leave your family behind, especially with a child laying in the street?” Bertagna said, according to the L.A. Daily News.
“If it’s some kind of kidnapping … then obviously we need to catch the suspect,” Bertagna said. “But the key for right now is finding out where this child belongs. That’s the important part,” according to Fox News.
The Orange County coroner’s office is working to identify the woman by her fingerprints, Bertagna said, and police are talking to witnesses to try to find out if the woman and child were victims of a crime, according to the O.C. Register.
Anyone with information in this case is urged to contact the Santa Ana PD Homicide Unit at (714) 245-8390. Or Orange County Crime Stoppers 855-TIP-OCCS. For full details, view this message on the web.
