Officers responded at about 8:30 p.m. and returned Monday with detectives from the department’s Crimes Against Children Unit. Investigators photographed the dumpster and surrounding area and collected additional evidence, while an officer guarded a second-floor motel room.

Police have not disclosed the infant’s age, race or sex. They are awaiting autopsy results as they work to determine what happened and who left the child there. A motel employee said a security camera near the dumpster was not working.

Fort Worth police Officer Cynthia Wood urged anyone who may have seen something to contact investigators, noting that even seemingly small details could help.

The discovery unsettled motel guests. Demetree Newsom, who said he was staying there while his home was repaired after flooding, said he did not know the family or anyone involved. “You could have given the baby to me,” he said, adding that he would have taken the child to a hospital.

Fort Worth Fire Department spokesperson Craig Trojacek said every city fire station is designated as a safe place under Texas’ Baby Moses Law, allowing a person to safely surrender an unwanted infant at any hour. He said the process is judgment-free and that the child’s safety and well-being are the priority.

Police have asked the public to share information that could help the investigation.