The body of a newborn baby was found stuffed inside a plastic bag between two homes in a residential East Vancouver neighbourhood Thursday.
Police are treating the death as suspicious and an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.
Police Const. Jana McGuinness called the discovery “sad” and “shocking” and is appealing to the baby’s mother to contact authorities.
“We want to ensure her health and well-being is monitored and that she is receiving the care she needs.”
Police received a call at 11:20 a.m. from a resident in the 2500 block of Charles Street.
“(The caller) had found a bag between the houses and thought they saw a figure inside,” McGuinness said.
Police arrived and cordoned off the area, and confirmed that a dead baby was inside the bag.
McGuinness said it’s too early to say how and when the baby died, and what its gender and ethnicity was.
Myles Constable, who lives nearby, said the neighbourhood is safe and the residents are friendly.
“This is a family neighbourhood,” Constable said, adding he would be surprised if the infant belonged to someone in the area.
“I don’t know why somebody would dump a body in their own neighbourhood,” he said.
Jennifer Willoughby, who lives down the street, called the discovery disturbing.
“It’s a quiet, normal (street),” she said. “I would assume (this was) some young kid in trouble and not knowing what to do.”
Investigators have interviewed two witnesses and are asking for anyone with information to contact police.
