Parents in Yolo County have pleaded not guilty to charges of child endangerment after their newborn was found living in hazardous conditions under an Interstate 5 overpass. The infant, just seven days old at the time, was discovered in a tent amid unsanitary surroundings on September 9, according to the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office.

Following a tip, deputies responded to the location and found Melissa Rivera, 29, and Fernando Esparza Guzman, 48, residing with the infant in a makeshift shelter. Investigators reported finding various drug paraphernalia, including multiple pipes commonly used for methamphetamine, as well as accumulated trash, spoiled food, vomit-soiled bedding, and feces inside a baby carrier. Additionally, the mother’s placenta and umbilical cord were disposed of in a trash bag nearby.

The parents reportedly acknowledged the risks facing their newborn but stated they had planned to seek medical care at a later time. Emergency personnel took the infant first to Woodland Memorial Hospital before transferring to a neonatal intensive care unit in Sacramento County. The baby remains under protective custody.

Rivera and Esparza Guzman were arrested and charged with child abuse under conditions likely to cause serious hardship or death, as outlined in court records filed at Yolo County Superior Court. Esparza Guzman faces an additional charge related to possession of a device used for drug consumption.

Both defendants were arraigned and subsequently released. Rivera was also arraigned on an unrelated battery charge stemming from an earlier incident this year and entered a not guilty plea. Their next hearing on the child endangerment charges is scheduled for October 13.

Yolo County Child Welfare Services did not provide comment on the case at the time of reporting.