Newborn girl found abandoned near Southern California mall

An abandoned newborn has been found not far from a Southern California mall, and authorities believe a woman who said she witnessed the birth is the mother of the child.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s officials said a passer-by who was looking for recycling items in Lakewood discovered the baby girl lying on the grass Sunday morning. He took her to a fire station and she was transferred to a hospital in stable condition.

Authorities said when deputies responded to the scene, a 35-year-old woman approached them and said she had helped the mother cut the umbilical cord.

During questioning, detectives noticed the woman was bleeding and took her to the hospital. There, doctors examined the woman and concluded that she recently gave birth.

Results from a DNA test are pending.