A newborn boy in California lived just one day, but it didn’t have to be that way. The infant was reportedly born at a homeless encampment to 30-year-old Marisol Flores. The Oxnard Police Department received a call on February 8, 2026, about complications involving the birth of a child. When they arrived, the baby showed no signs of life. Flores stayed at the scene and received medical care shortly thereafter. As investigators looked into the child’s death, however, they realized there was apparently more to the story than what the baby’s mother let on.
According to a release from Oxnard police, officers arrived at the scene about 11 a.m. Fire and EMS personnel cared for Flores and reportedly found the situation suspicious. The Oxnard Police Department Family Protection Unit and Major Crimes Unit took over the investigation and determined the infant’s death was actually a homicide.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office explained the story in more detail through a new release. A witness reportedly told police they saw Flores pregnant at the encampment on West Vineyard Avenue in Oxnard on February 7. When they saw her the next day, she was no longer pregnant and did not have her newborn baby with her.
Investigators believe Flores gave birth to her baby alive and then killed him soon afterward, the district attorney’s release shared. When they found his remains, he reportedly showed signs of blunt force trauma. Police arrested Flores, and she faces a murder charge in the newborn’s death. A judge set her bond at $500,000, and she’s due in court on February 13.
In California, a parent can surrender their newborn baby within 72 hours of birth under the Safely Surrendered Baby law.
“The Safely Surrendered Baby law requires the baby be taken to a public or private hospital, designated fire station or other safe surrender site, as determined by the local County Board of Supervisors. No questions will be asked and California Penal Code Section 271.5 protects surrendering individuals from prosecution of abandonment,” the state explains on its website.
This baby boy didn’t have to die. Sadly, many times mothers fear they’ll be in trouble if they surrender their baby and often make drastic choices. Perhaps Flores’ story will touch someone’s heart and prevent this kind of tragedy from happening again.
