Toronto police investigating the abandonment of an infant in a north Toronto parking garage say they're now working on the theory that child may be from the United States.

"We're exploring this possibility and seeing where it takes us: if it leads to nothing, if it has to expand … we don't know at this point. We're trying everything that we can. And until we get some information that can assist us, we're going to continue appealing to the public for their assistance," Const. Wendy Drummond told CBC News.

The abandoned baby girl was wearing a pink cotton sleeper, blue socks and a green hat when found.
(Toronto Police Services)

Her caregivers have given her the names Angelica Leslie.

"Angel, because of her angel-like appearance. And Leslie after the street where she was found," Children's Aid Society executive director David Rivard told a news conference on Friday.  

On Thursday, police released images that show a person leaving the child in the concrete stairwell of an outdoor parking garage at a mall near Don Mills Avenue and Finch Avenue on Wednesday, then driving away in a green sedan.

The child — an eight-month-old girl — was discovered by a passerby two hours later, with minor cuts and bruises on her face.

Police have been unable to identify her or her parents, and are asking for the public's help.

"I would go so far as to say it's abnormal to run into a situation where a child is left with no other supervision or adult around, and no one step forward in a short period of time," Toronto Det. Keith Moxley said during a news conference on Thursday.

The brown-eyed girl was found face down on a freezing concrete landing in the stairwell at about 12:30 p.m. With winds blowing up to 100 km/hr, it was one of the coldest days in the city so far this winter.

Moxley said security tape from the garage revealed that at about 10:30 a.m., a smaller green four-door sedan, believed to be a recent-model Ford Escort, drove up the ramp to the second storey of the garage.

No other vehicles were parked there, Moxley said. The car drove straight to the stairwell door, he said.

A person, whom police have been unable to identify as male or female, got out of the car, opened the door to check the stairwell and then went back to the vehicle, Moxley said.

The person opened the passenger's side door, took out the infant and left the baby in the stairwell, he said. The person then got back into the car and drove away, he said.

The girl was later found by a woman who thought she was walking past a doll until she heard crying.

Police said the baby, who is at the Hospital for Sick Children, is healthy. She is currently under the care of the Children's Aid Society, which could eventually seek temporary guardianship.

"It appears that she was left in that stairwell for almost two hours. Considering how long she was left and how cold it was, she's in very good condition," said Staff Sgt. Brian Moorcroft.

The baby is described as black with a light complexion. When she was found she was wearing a pink cotton sleeper, blue socks and a green hat, which police laid out for reporters during the news conference.

Officers have been canvassing the area where she was found with flyers, hoping for leads in the case.

Investigators said they are also worried about her parents' mental health, or any siblings she may have. Police said they are concerned the baby may have suffered trauma or long-term abuse.