Mother Arrested After Baby Found Dead In Perris Trash

PERRIS, CA — A woman allegedly dumped her baby in a Perris trash receptacle and left it to die, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department announced Monday afternoon.

Brittany Suzanne Peevyhouse, 31, was arrested around 7 p.m. Friday on S. Lyon Avenue in Hemet and was booked into Riverside's Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of murder in the infant's death, jail records show. She is due to appear in court Wednesday and is being held without bail.

Peevyhouse's arrest follows an investigation that began around 1 p.m. Jan. 22 when deputies stationed out of Perris responded to a call in the 1700 block of Goetz Road about a body in the trash at the location. Once on scene, deputies found the dead baby in the rubbish.

An autopsy by the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner's Bureau showed the infant was alive when dumped, the sheriff's department reported.

Investigators put out a public plea, asking anyone who knew a parent whose newborn baby suddenly disappeared to come forward.

The sheriff's department did not reveal details on what led to Peevyhouse's arrest. Information about the baby's age and gender were not provided.

"Evidence obtained through this investigation identified the parents of the infant. The investigation is ongoing, and the specifics of the case cannot be released at this time. The mother, however, 31-year-old Brittany Peevyhouse, was arrested and charged with murder for the death of the infant. Peevyhouse is currently in custody within the Riverside County Jail," the sheriff's department said in a released report.

Peevyhouse has no prior convictions in Riverside County, according to court records.

Information about the father was not provided by the department.

The Safely Surrendered Baby Law — also known as the Safe Haven Law or Newborn Abandonment Law — allows a parent(s) to safely surrender their unwanted newborn within three days of birth to an employee at any hospital emergency department, most fire stations, or other designated “safe havens” in California, without the fear of arrest or prosecution, as long as the baby has not been abused or neglected.

Anyone with further information about the ongoing case is asked to contact Central Homicide Investigator Magana at 951-955-2777.