Two-day-old baby found in Pejaten nasi uduk cart; elder sibling writes letter claiming mother died

JAKARTA — A 12-year-old with initials Z is suspected of abandoning a two-day-old baby at a nasi uduk cart on Jalan Pejaten Raya, Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, on the afternoon of Tuesday, 3 March 2026. The suspicion arose from a note written on a small piece of paper found with the baby in a black shopping bag. ‘The baby girl is estimated to be two days old, based on the writing on the paper, written by an individual with initials Z who is suspected of deliberately abandoning the baby at the scene,’ said Pasar Minggu Police Sector Chief, Kompol Anggiat Sinambela, in a statement on Tuesday, 3 March 2026. ‘My younger sister was born on 2 March 2026,’ the note reads. In the letter, Z states that their mother died while giving birth to AR, and therefore Z entrusted AR to the person who found her. ‘Assalamualaikum, to the Bapak/Ibu who finds my sister, I, Z, ask for help to look after my sister, because my mother died while giving birth,’ wrote Z. He/she hopes that whoever finds AR will care for her well. Z does not want her sister to share the same fate as him. ‘Please treat her as your own child, because I will not be able to visit her again, I do not want her future to be like mine, thank you,’ ends the note. Anggiat said the baby was found by a nearby resident named Dinda. In addition to the note, a red baby milk carton, wet wipes, and a blue baby glove were found in the bag. The discovery began when the witness heard a baby’s cry from the second floor of her house. After searching, the sound was found to be coming from the nasi uduk cart in front of her residence. ‘The witness Dinda heard the baby’s cry from the direction of the cart in front of the house,’ Anggiat stated. ‘After Dinda found the baby, she informed her mother, and the baby was brought into the house,’ Anggiat added. The baby was later taken to Puskesmas Pasar Minggu before being handed over to the Social Services. To date, the police are still investigating the case. Police have checked CCTV around the scene and are taking statements from witnesses.