Crime

Mom, boyfriend arrested after dead baby found in Calif. canal

/ CBS/AP

FRESNO, Calif. - A 26-year-old mother and her boyfriend have been arrested in connection with a dead baby found at the bottom of a dry canal in Fresno.

The Fresno Bee says police believe Stephanie Saylor gave birth to the baby in February.

Saylor and her boyfriend, 27-year-old Joseph Castro, were arrested Thursday at an apartment complex near the canal. They were jailed on probation and parole violations.

The baby, whose age and sex is still unknown, was found earlier in the week in a bag of concrete at the bottom of the canal. The paper reports a tipster led police to the body.

Police say Saylor told investigators that her baby was born stillborn. The investigation is ongoing and an autopsy is planned.

Saylor's three other children - ages 2, 6 and 8 - have been turned over to Child Protective Services.

Police say Castro and Saylor are frequent users of methamphetamine, although it's not known whether the drug played a role in what happened to the baby, the paper reports.

First published on May 16, 2014 / 12:41 PM EDT

© 2014 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.