(NRLC) 18-year-old Alexis Avila is facing charges of attempted murder and child abuse after tossing her newborn baby into a garbage dump shortly after giving birth. She was caught on video tossing a black trash bag into a dumpster in Hobbs, New Mexico, at around 2pm on January 7 by businessman Joe Imbriale.
Avila will be arraigned at a later time at Lea County District Court after posting bail. The woman has reportedly confessed to abandoning her baby.
The infant was found by “a group of people was looking through a dumpster for anything of value Friday in Hobbs, near the Texas border, when they heard what they thought was a dog or kitten,” according to CNN.
“They moved a trash bag and found a baby inside, wrapped in a dirty blanket with its umbilical cord still attached. They immediately called authorities and tried to keep the boy warm until police and paramedics arrived.”
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At a news conference on Monday, acting Police Chief August Fons credited the group with saving the baby’s life. “Their collective quick response to this emergency, including notification of 911, was absolutely pivotal in saving this baby’s life,” Fons said.
After administering aid, paramedics took the child to the hospital. The baby has since been transferred to a hospital in Lubbock, Texas, and is in stable condition.
“A store owner near where it happened shared surveillance video that appears to show her doing it,” according to ABC 7 Chicago.
“What are, what are we looking for here? I turned around, she goes, ‘We’re looking for somebody that dumped a black garbage bag in the dumpster.’ And I said ‘please do not tell me it was a baby,’ and she grabbed my shoulder and said, ‘yes,'” business owner Joe Imbriale said.
Imbriale recalled the moment Hobbs police asked to review security video from his store after a baby was believed to have been thrown in it.
“This should not have happened. There’s other ways to give a baby away, but you don’t dump it. You just don’t. I’m sorry,” Imbriale said.
Avila told detective she was not aware she was pregnant until she sought medical attention for abdominal pain on January 6. The next day she delivered her baby. “She further explained that she panicked and did not know what to do or who to call,” Fons said.
“Avila told authorities she started driving around until she decided to place the baby inside a dumpster near a shopping area.”
New Mexico has a “safe haven law” which allows parents to leave a baby younger than 90 days at a safe location without criminal consequences.
Editor's note: This article was published by the National Right to Life Committee and is reprinted with permission.
