ABANDONED BABY'S MOM IS ARRESTED RECEIPT LEFT IN SHOPPING BAG THAT HELD CHILD PROVIDED CLUE.

Byline: Lisa Mascaro Staff Writer

WOODLAND HILLS - The shopping bag that served as a makeshift cradle for a newborn boy left in a hospital parking lot also held a clue that led detectives to a 27-year-old they said Wednesday is the infant's mother.

Police traced a receipt at the bottom of the bag to the Woodland Hills home where Rosemary Gutierrez lives with her mother and 6-year-old daughter.

On a second visit late Tuesday, Gutierrez answered the door and, with remorse, told them how she had secretly given birth to the baby at home, then left him outside West Hills Hospital and Medical Center to be found.

``It's a nice family. She's a nice and concerned individual,'' said Los Angeles police Lt. Gary Hallden, adding that Gutierrez's family has expressed a desire to take in the child.

``She might have intended to do the right thing, take it to an employee at the hospital,'' he said. ``She got scared.''

Gutierrez was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment and was being held Wednesday in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Police could not say whether Gutierrez was aware of a 13-month-old state law that allows those with legal custody of a newborn to leave the infant with emergency room workers within 72 hours of its birth without prosecution.

Meanwhile, the 7-pound boy - who prompted an outpouring of calls from potential adoptive parents - continued to win hearts at West Hills Hospital.

Nurses have taken to calling him Gregory, Nicholas and Nicky - depending on who's on shift, the hospital spokesman said.

``He's obviously a favorite among the staff, getting a lot of attention,'' said spokesman Rick Miller.

``The staff is just happy to be his family's extension at this point,'' Miller said. ``He's eating, he's eating well, he's sleeping well, he's doing all the normal things a baby would do.''

Authorities said a nurse walking to her car found the child at 8 p.m. Monday inside a shopping bag on a landscaped island in the employee parking lot. The infant, no more than 24 hours old at the time, was reported in excellent condition later Tuesday.

Residents of the tidy, California ranch-style homes in the West Valley neighborhood were surprised at the claims against Gutierrez, describing her family as close-knit and quiet. None knew that she had been pregnant.

``She's nice. It's hard to believe,'' said one neighbor who declined to give her name.

Ryan Davis, 20, who lives across the street, agreed.

``From seeing how she treats her own child, I can't believe she would do something like that,'' said the college student, noting the way neighborhood kids would play on the front lawn. ``She seemed pretty conservative.''

At a press conference Wednesday, detectives said Gutierrez and her family had been cooperating with the investigation.

Hallden said a patrol officer investigating the discovery of the baby noticed a receipt in the bottom of the department store bag for an item that had been purchased with a gift certificate.

Detectives contacted the store and determined that the certificate had been purchased with a credit card traced to Gutierrez's mother's home.

The mother, Hallden said, told them what she could about the receipts. Police returned again and Gutierrez answered the door. ``She pretty much admitted she was the mother,'' he said.

``We were very lucky,'' Hallden said. ``A lot of times at crime scenes, little things are overlooked. It's just another example - every little bit of evidence or clues are so important.''

Police said Gutierrez's mother apparently did not know her daughter was pregnant.

The county Department of Child and Family Services was working with the family Wednesday, an assistant director of public affairs said.

The newborn's father, police said, had no interest in the child.

``The bottom line, she didn't do the right thing,'' he said. ``We want individuals, in the future, we want them to go to a designated doctor or nurse.''