19-year-old mother arrested for murder after infant daughter found in Los Angeles dumpster

A 19-year-old Los Angeles mother has been arrested for allegedly throwing her baby into a dumpster. The infant was discovered on September 28 after a neighbor searched through the trash for recyclables.

Takiyah Babers is accused of murdering her four-month-old daughter, Luna, whose body was found inside the dumpster. Neighbor Martha Jimenez noticed an unusually heavy plastic bag in the trash and discovered the baby after initially believing it was a doll. 

Jimenez called the police, and paramedics transported the infant to a hospital. The four-month-old was pronounced dead.

Babers had been staying at the apartment of her foster father, Herman Johnson. Johnson and his wife, Laura Lacy, became concerned after seeing reports about the discovery of an infant who had six toes on her left foot, a feature they knew Luna had. When they attempted to check in on Babers, she gave contradictory stories about the baby’s whereabouts. She initially said Luna was sleeping before later claiming she had given the baby to her biological father.

Johnson and Lacy had cared for the baby when she was two weeks old. The couple told reporters about their relationship with the child, according to FOX 11.

"We had her ever since she'd been two weeks old. When she [their daughter] first brought the baby from the hospital, she couldn't handle it. So me and Laura took the baby. And we had the baby, fed the baby, just did everything," Johnson said. "She didn't deserve to die." 

"To be found in a dumpster, a dirty dumpster. It just broke my heart. I don't know what to do, man. I don't even know what to say,” he added.

Lacy described the discovery as a “nightmare.” She also showed anger toward Babers.

"I have no love for her. Why? Because you had no love for that innocent baby,” she said. “I don't feel nothing for her! I love her, and I probably would, and I still want to know why. What was the problem? Why did you do that? You had no reason to do that. I was taking care of your child for you. Didn't even go in the system. I was going to do it. I'm the grandma."