HOUSTON -- A woman police believe was intoxicated walked along a northeast Houston street carrying a dead, abused baby in her arms Wednesday afternoon, officers told KPRC-TV in Houston.

Neighbors called police when they spotted the woman, who said she is the baby sitter of the 1 ½-year-old child. The woman, who smelled of beer, was asking for help, witnesses said.

According to authorities, the baby boy was naked, bruised and bloodied with numerous injuries. Police said the child, who had been dead for a few hours, was severely beaten all over his body and had bite marks.

"The injuries to the baby are extremely severe," said Sgt. Mark Newcomb of the Houston Police Department.

"The left side of his skull was completely purple and big -- swollen. The left side of his face, the eye almost popped out. His neck was bruised up. His legs, on the front, (looked) like they hit him with a rope or wire or something," witness Maria Melcher said.

Melcher dialed 911. When police arrived, she could not believe what happened next.

"When the police got here, they told her to put the baby down. And when she tried to put him down, she dropped him," she said.

"There's a possibility that she could be intoxicated, but we'll have to look into that a little bit further," Newcomb said.

Investigators are trying to determine who are the child's parents, because it was difficult communicating with the woman.

"We don't know who the mother is of the child. We only know that this is the caretaker," Newcomb said.

The woman lives on the street where she was found with the baby.