Mother Held in Death of Baby Found in Trash

An Anaheim woman was arrested on suspicion of murder Wednesday in the death of her 6-week-old son after a body, tentatively identified as the infant, was found in a Fullerton trash container, Anaheim police said.

Sheryl Lynn Massip, 23, was arrested hours after she reported that her son, Michael Alfredo Massip, had been grabbed from her arms and abducted as she was walking with him in a schoolyard, Police Sgt. John Haradon said.

Massip called police from her home in the 1900 block of East Sycamore Street at 11:45 a.m. to report that her son had been abducted. Less than two hours later, the body of the child was found behind a home in the 300 block of North Marwood Avenue in Fullerton.

“Based on the interviews with both parents and investigation at the crime scene, we determined that a kidnaping had not occurred and in fact a homicide had,� Haradon said. “She (Massip) was alone at the time of the alleged kidnaping, and we were unable to locate information or witnesses to support her kidnaping story.�

Autopsy Scheduled

The cause and time of death were unknown and Haradon would not say whether any marks were found on the body. An autopsy was scheduled.

Neighbors in Massip’s apartment building said they saw her run into the complex Wednesday morning shouting, “Someone’s stolen my baby.�

Neighbor Lauri Jonsson, 30, said Massip told her that she had been confronted by a black woman with bleached red hair and a big, black purse allegedly containing a gun. The woman told Massip to hand over the baby or she would kill her and the baby, too, Jonsson said.

Massip said “they struggled and the black woman just grabbed the baby,� Jonsson recounted.

Jonsson described Massip and her husband, Alfredo Massip, 29, as “very nice people. They were all excited about having the baby.�

Massip, who was arrested on her 23rd birthday, is being held in Anaheim city jail in lieu of $250,000 bail, Haradon said.