N.M. woman sentenced for throwing newborn child in dumpster in freezing conditions
05/02/2023 11:32 am PDT
HOBBS, N.M. (TCD) -- A woman will spend 16 years in prison for throwing her newborn son in a dumpster shortly after giving birth in a bathroom in early 2022.
According to the Fifth Judicial District Attorney’s Office, a judge handed down the sentence against Alexis Avila on May 1 after she was found guilty last month of child abuse resulting in great bodily harm and attempted first-degree murder.
Avila learned she was pregnant on Jan. 6, 2022, and gave birth the following day in her bathroom. The Attorney’s Office said she then wrapped the newborn boy in "multiple plastic bags filled with trash before driving him behind the Broadmoor mall and throwing him into a dumpster."
The incident was reportedly caught on surveillance video.
On Jan. 7, 2022, three good Samaritans reportedly found Avila’s newborn son and alerted the Hobbs Police Department. According to the District Attorney’s Office, the boy had been left there for "over five hours in freezing cold conditions."
Officers responded to the scene, where they found the newborn boy suffering from hypothermia. He was transported to the hospital and required a blood transfusion, feeding tube, and oxygen. The District Attorney’s Office said efforts to save the child were "successful despite the serious injuries inflicted by Avila."
In a statement, District Attorney Dianna Luce said, "We are thankful that the Court found that this especially heinous crime was a serious violent offense and that the defendant will receive a just punishment for committing this crime against an innocent newborn."
Luce continued, "This sentence is a warning to all who would try to kill innocent children that you will be held accountable."
The District Attorney’s Office said Avila must serve 85% of her sentence before she is eligible for parole.
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