Man Who Left Baby With Stranger Arrested
Police arrested the father of an 8-month-old girl he left with a stranger while he allegedly went to buy rock cocaine, authorities said.
Ray Luna, 27, of Sylmar was taken into custody at 3:25 a.m. Tuesday by police near Parthenia Street and Columbus Avenue, authorities said, the same neighborhood where he allegedly abandoned the infant to buy drugs late Sunday.
Luna was arrested on suspicion of felony child endangerment, said Los Angeles Police Det. Gary Barthelmess. The arrest violated Luna’s parole for a previous conviction, so he will remain in custody.
The infant, Bianca Luna, was reunited with her mother, Francesca Rosales, and her 3-year-old brother Tuesday.
Police say Luna took his daughter with him to allegedly buy rock cocaine in North Hills. To pay for drugs, Luna told police, he sold his children’s car seats as well as some food stamps.
Luna drove to a convenience store at 11 p.m. There he struck up a conversation with a customer in line, who police said was a local street person. Later, Luna asked the man to watch Bianca for 15 minutes.
When Luna did not return after 30 minutes, the man called police.
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