Police were searching for a newborn baby in downtown Los Angeles’ skid row neighborhood Friday morning after they found a bloodied woman who doctors said had given birth.

It was unclear when the woman gave birth, but police said the pressure was on to find the child before it’s too late.

“We are just right under the clock right now,” LAPD Officer Jack Richter said. “We need to find that kid if it’s still alive.”

Officers were performing a block-by-block search of the area Friday morning, including looking through trash bins.


Police said a witness walked into the LAPD’s Central station about 4 p.m. Thursday and reported that a woman was bleeding, Richter said.

Officers found the woman outside but couldn’t get much information from her, Richter said. They took her to a hospital, where doctors told them the woman had given birth.

Officers immediately launched an extensive search for the newborn, interviewing people in the area to get more details about the mother and the child’s whereabouts.

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