Abandoned Baby was Born in 10 Minutes, Security Video Shows

The newborn boy discovered in the toilet at a fast-food restaurant in West Covina was born within 10 minutes, a surveillance video released by the West Covina Police Department shows.

Police said a woman went into the bathroom of a Subway sandwich shop at 2540 S. Azusa Ave. and gave birth Monday morning.

A security video showing the woman entered “the (sandwich shop’s) restroom at 8:07 a.m. (Monday) and exiting 10 minutes later,” West Covina police spokesman Rudy Lopez said

She left a trail a blood behind her as she exited the shop, drawing attention to the bathroom.

“Employees went inside and saw an umbilical cord hanging out of the toilet, then they found the baby in the toilet,” Lopez said.

The baby was submerged in toilet water and crying, Lopez said. He was cared for by Subway employees and patrons with help from 911 dispatchers until paramedics arrived and took him to a hospital, the sergeant said.

A spokeswoman at Queen of the Valley Hospital in West Covina told the Los Angeles Times the baby is in stable condition.

Officers used the blood trail to track down the 37-year-old mother, identified as Mary Grace Trinidad, at a Pep Boys store in the same shopping center, according to Lopez.

She was hospitalized like any new mother would be immediately after giving birth, Lopez said, and was expected to be booked on suspicion of attempted murder and child abandonment, with bail set at $2 million.

Supervisor Don Knabe on Tuesday said Trinadad could have safely dropped the infant at any fire station or hospital and kept herself out of jail.

Knabe said the near-tragedy shows that more needs to be done to spread the word about the Safe Surrender program.

“Incidents like what occurred in West Covina are a stark reminder to mothers that there is always a better choice for their baby,” Knabe said. “The Safe Surrender program was created to give a mother, no matter the circumstance, a safe, secure and anonymous way to get her child into safe hands.”

The program has saved 142 lives since it began in 2001, Knabe said.

“No shame, no blame, no names,” Knabe said.

Sheriff’s Department records do not yet reflect Trinidad’s arrest, though they list several prior arrests on matters still pending in court. Lopez said the woman had a $30,000 narcotics-related warrant outstanding for her arrest.

Trinidad used to live in West Covina, but was a transient when she was taken into custody, according to police.

--City News Service, photo courtesy of the West Covina Police Department