BABY LUNA’S LIFE ENDS IN HEARTBREAKING TRAGEDY — MOTHER NOW FACES MURDER CHARGES

A four-month-old baby should have had a lifetime ahead of her — surrounded by family, love and the chance to grow up.

Instead, little Luna Babers became the center of a heartbreaking investigation after she was found unresponsive inside a dumpster in South Los Angeles.

Her family had been caring for her since she was only about two weeks old. They remember Luna as a sweet, happy baby with a beautiful smile, and say she was deeply loved.

Now, those closest to her are left grieving a child whose life ended far too soon.

LUNA WAS ONLY FOUR MONTHS OLD

Luna was discovered at around 10:30 p.m. on September 28, 2026, near the Pueblo Del Rio housing complex in South Los Angeles.

According to police, officers responded to a death investigation after a woman reported finding an infant inside a trash container.

The woman who discovered the baby was reportedly taking out trash and initially thought she had seen a doll. After realizing it was a baby, she and another person called 911.

LAPD officers and Los Angeles firefighters responded to the scene.

Luna was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

 HER FAMILY HAD BEEN CARING FOR HER

Luna had been cared for by Laura Lacy and Herman Johnson, who are the foster parents of Luna’s biological mother, 19-year-old Takiyah Babers.

The couple said they had been raising Luna since she was approximately two weeks old.

They described the little girl as a precious child who brought joy into their home.

Lacy said Luna was a healthy, happy baby and that her smile was one of the things she would always remember.

The family had allowed Babers to visit and spend time with her daughter.

On September 28, they dropped Luna off with Babers.

Later that night, everything changed.

 THE FAMILY RUSHED BACK AFTER HEARING THE NEWS

Lacy and Johnson said they learned that a baby had been found in a dumpster near the apartment complex.

They rushed back to the area and discovered that Luna was missing.

According to the family, they initially struggled to understand what had happened.

They later learned that the infant found in the dumpster was Luna.

The family gathered at the scene as investigators began working to establish what happened.

A makeshift memorial was later created with flowers, balloons and candles as neighbors came together to remember the baby.

 LUNA’S MOTHER HAS NOW BEEN CHARGED

Police identified Takiyah Babers, 19, as a suspect and arrested her.

She was initially booked on suspicion of murder, with bail set at $2 million.

On October 1, prosecutors formally charged Babers with:

• One count of murder
• One felony count of assault on a child causing death

Her arraignment was postponed until October 30, 2026.

According to CBS Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined that Luna’s cause of death was blunt trauma.

The charges are allegations, and Babers is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

INVESTIGATORS ARE STILL EXAMINING WHAT HAPPENED

The LAPD continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding Luna’s death.

Police have not publicly released every detail of the investigation, and the exact sequence of events leading up to the baby’s death remains part of the case.

The discovery of Luna came only hours after she had been dropped off with her mother, according to relatives.

Investigators are examining evidence from the apartment complex and interviewing people who may have information about what happened.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is now handling the criminal case following the filing of charges.

 A COMMUNITY MOURNS A LITTLE GIRL

As news of Luna’s death spread, people in the neighborhood gathered to pay tribute.

Candles were lit.

Flowers were placed near the location where she was found.

Balloons were left in memory of a baby who had only lived for four months.

Her foster grandmother, Laura Lacy, spoke through tears about returning home without Luna.

For the family who had cared for her from infancy, the loss has left an enormous emptiness.

Lacy said she misses her granddaughter and that her home still reminds her of the little girl who had been there every day.

 “SHE DESERVED A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES”

Luna never had the opportunity to take her first steps, start school, make friends or grow into the person she might have become.

Her family is now left with photographs, memories and the love they had for her during her short life.

The investigation will now continue through the criminal courts, where prosecutors will have to prove the allegations against Luna’s mother.

For those who knew and cared for Luna, however, the legal proceedings cannot change the most painful reality:

A four-month-old baby is gone, and a family is grieving the little girl they loved.

Luna’s loved ones want her remembered for her beautiful smile, her sweetness and the happiness she brought into their lives — not only for the heartbreaking circumstances surrounding her death.