CONWAY, S.C. The discovery of an infant's body Thursday near the Meadowbrook development in Conway shocked several residents of the community.

The baby, whose sex was not being released by police Thursday evening, was found in a wooded area of Meadowbrook Drive and S.C. 544.

Workers found it around 4:15 p.m., according to Sgt. Robert Kegler of the Horry County Police Department.

Police are investigating, Kegler said. Few other details were available Thursday.

Sandy Carroll, 60, said she and her daughter, April Day, 41, got a call from Carroll's husband Thursday afternoon saying they couldn't come home because the street was blocked off.

Carroll, who has lived in the Meadowbrook development since 1986, and Day, who has been living in a separate home there since August 2007, said mostly retirees and older people live in the community.

"I don't remember seeing any pregnant women around here," Carroll said, recalling how the area was mainly woods when she first moved in more than 20 years ago.

Day said she couldn't believe it when she heard the news.

"I thought 'Oh my gosh. You've got to be kidding. Somebody's pulling a mean joke,'" Day said.

Lee Rae Bunch, 47, said it was the first time she has heard of something unusual like that happening near the community of about 20 homes.

"It's a terrible thing to happen," Bunch said.

"No young girls live in here."

Jane Latour, 71, agreed.

Latour, however, said she thinks "it was a young girl that panicked."

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