Police have arrested a 20-year-old woman on suspicion of murdering her newborn baby, which was found dead in a Camarillo strawberry field earlier this year, the Ventura County Sheriff's Department announced Thursday.
Rosalba Moran of Oxnard was arrested Dec. 21 and remains in custody at the Todd Road Jail. Her bail was set at $1 million, according to the sheriff's department.
Detectives credit the arrest to DNA swabs taken from more than 100 field workers at La Esparanza Farms located in the 3300 block of Central Avenue in an unincorporated area of Camarillo.
"Forensic scientists working in the sheriff's crime lab diligently processed all of the DNA swabs and were able to identify one of the donor DNA samples as being that of a close relative of the mother," detectives wrote in a news release (PDF).
Deputies were able to confirm the mother's identity after collecting DNA from Moran, who was being held at the Todd Road Jail on unrelated charges, according to the sheriff's department.
The father has yet to be identified.
"This is something that should never happen. I mean, there are mechanisms in place where people can go and drop off a baby, no questions asked," said Sgt. Eric Buschow shortly after the baby was discovered May 21.
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California's Safely Surrendered Baby Law allows parents to "safely surrender the infant within 72 hours of birth, with no questions asked," according to the Department of Social Services.
Anyone with information about the case was asked to detectives at 805-383-8786. Tipsters may be eligible for a $1,000 reward through the Ventura County Crime Stoppers program by calling 800-222-TIPS (8477). Callers may remain anonymous.
