Authorities are searching for the mother of a newborn girl found in the middle of a rural road in Central California in near-freezing temperatures.
KFSN-TV reports the hours-old baby was wearing only a onesie when a newspaper carrier found her before dawn Monday on the center line of the road in Madera County.
The carrier, Aurelio Fuentes, told the Fresno Bee her umbilical cord was still attached.
The child is hospitalized in good condition and is expected to fully recover.
Sheriff’s officials say a man walking around 4:30 a.m. was approached by a woman in a white SUV who asked him to take her baby. He refused and suggested she take the newborn to a hospital.
The newspaper carrier discovered the baby a short time later and brought her into a vehicle to keep her warm.
Witnesses describe the mother as a Latina who appeared to be in her early 20s. She was last seen fleeing the scene in the small SUV of unknown make or model, authorities said.
Anyone with information can contact the Sheriff’s Office at 559-675-7770.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the child was wearing a blanket, not a onesie.
