Resident recounts finding a baby in a nasi uduk cart in South Jakarta after hearing crying
A baby girl was found alive inside a shopping bag in a nasi uduk cart in the Pasar Minggu district, South Jakarta. The discovery was made by Dinda, a 20-year-old daughter of the nasi uduk cart owner, who said the incident began with a crying sound outside her house.
Dinda said she heard the sound on Tuesday, 3 March, around 17:20 WIB. She was at home relaxing. For reference, the nasi uduk cart and Dinda’s house are on a dead-end lane, about two metres wide.
‘Then I heard a baby’s cry. I thought, ’Surely there isn’t a baby here’,’ she told reporters at her Jalan Pejaten Raya residence in Pasar Minggu on Thursday, 5 March 2026. The crying prompted her to hurry downstairs to investigate the source. She was puzzled because there was no one around except the cry coming from a black handheld bag inside the cart.
‘I went straight to the cart because the baby’s cries were clearly audible. I picked it up. My hands trembled and I felt faint. I called my older sister to come down; she asked, ’What are you doing, why are you fainting?’ and I replied, ‘There’s a baby!’ She told me to open it.
Dinda admitted she did not dare to open the handheld bag herself and asked her sister to do so.
‘The baby was already in a tilted position, you know. I didn’t dare touch the baby. Teh Ulan then handled it. After that, the father immediately informed the warteg owner in front and they called the local neighbourhood association (RT),’ she explained.
Dinda’s mother, Marlina, 49, said the bag contained groceries along with baby supplies. ‘The bag’s contents included nappies, wet wipes, and milk. On top of them was the baby,’ she said.
As reported, the baby was found alive in the shopping bag inside the nasi uduk cart. ‘A baby girl was found,’ said Pasar Minggu Police Chief Comm. Anggiat Sinambela on Wednesday (4 March). The baby was found on Tuesday (3 March) around 17:30 WIB in front of a resident’s house on Jalan Pejaten Raya RT 010 RW 002, Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta. The baby was discovered by residents who were suspicious after hearing cries.
The discovery was later reported to the Forum for Community Readiness (FKDM) of Pasar Minggu Kelurahan and forwarded to the Pasar Minggu Police Sector. The baby is suspected of being abandoned by her parents.
‘The baby girl is estimated to be two days old based on a note left by a man named Zidan, suspected of deliberately abandoning the baby at the scene,’ he added.