A 19-year-old woman has been found guilty of attempted first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in great bodily harm after throwing her newborn son into a dumpster shortly after giving birth in a bathroom.
Newborn Found In a Dumpster
The baby was found crying by dumpster divers in freezing cold conditions five hours later, suffering from hypothermia. He was transported to the hospital, where he received medical care, including a blood transfusion, feeding tube, and oxygen.
The New Mexico woman, Alexis Avila, reportedly learned that she was pregnant on January 6, 2022, and gave birth the following day. According to the Fifth Judicial District Attorney, Avila wrapped her newborn child in multiple plastic bags filled with trash and threw him behind a mall in Hobbs, New Mexico. She was later caught on surveillance video throwing him into a dumpster, according to an article published in TRUE CRIME DAILY.
Avila was arrested on charges of attempting to commit a felony to wit: murder and child abuse. On April 14, the District Attorney’s Office announced that she had been found guilty of attempted first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in great bodily harm.
District Attorney’s Office Released a Statement
In a statement, District Attorney Dianne Luce expressed her gratitude to the jury for “honoring the precious life of this baby boy and rejecting the defendant’s self-serving excuses for this crime.” Attorney General Raúl Torrez thanked the jury for helping to deliver justice to the child and expressed his astonishment at the defendant’s lack of remorse during her testimony.
The District Attorney’s Office has emphasized that children are entitled to the full protection of the law and that wrongdoers who hurt children in New Mexico will be prosecuted vigorously.