A baby found in a Loudoun County pond Sunday was full-term and weighed about seven pounds, authorities said Monday.
The preliminary autopsy results announced by the Loudoun County Sheriff's office did not reveal if the baby girl was alive when it was born. The baby had been in the water no more than a couple of days, and authorities are working on the assumption that it had been put in the pond shortly after birth.
The tragic find has torn apart the Sterling neighborhoods near the pond, reported News4's Pat Collins.
The infant's body was discovered floating in the pond behind a cul-de-sac by a passerby in the area of Awsley Court near Steed Place shortly before noon.
Authorities have spent hours knocking on doors hoping to find the mother of the baby. The sheriff's office is working with Loudoun County Child Protective Services, school resource officers and the community to identify the mother. She likely needs medical attention, according to the sheriff's office.
Neighbors say some residents fish in the pond, but it is also a popular hangout for teenagers.
Stay with News4 and NBCWashington.com for the latest on this developing story.
Photo Credit: Derrick Ward