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Newborn found on road in near-freezing temperatures

MADERA, Calif. — Police are investigating after a newborn baby was discovered in the middle of a Madera, California, road.

Aurelio Fuentes Jr. told The Fresno Bee he was delivering newspapers, driving at 5 mph, when he found the newborn with an umbilical cord still attached.

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California Highway Patrol officers told KABC they received a call before 4 a.m. Monday about the newborn. The baby was taken to a nearby children's hospital where staff said she was 6 to 8 hours old, according to KMPH.

KSEE reported that, according to the National Weather Service, temperatures in the area at the time the newborn was found were near freezing.

CHP told KMPH that hospital staff estimated the newborn had been on the road for less than a half hour. The hospital said the baby is in very good condition.

The Madera County Sheriff’s Office is trying to identify the person who may have abandoned the infant.

"She is described by witnesses as a Hispanic female adult, possibly in her early 20's," the department said in a Facebook post. "Her physical description is unknown. She left the scene in a small white SUV of unknown make or model."

California has the Safely Surrendered Baby Law, under which people with lawful custody can surrender an infant within 72 hours of birth with no questions asked.