Young Mother Filmed Tossing Her Newborn Baby Into A Dumpster

A young mother was arrested after a surveillance video captured her throwing her newborn baby boy in a dumpster.

The disturbing footage was captured on Friday in Hobbs, New Mexico. Around 2:00 p.m, 18-year-old Alexis Avila was seen pulling up in a white Volkswagen Jetta and parking it next to a dumpster on North Thorp Street. She then exits the car holding a black trash bag that she forcefully tosses into the trash before fleeing the scene. Six hours later, dumpster divers heard the baby crying and quickly opened the bag. A woman can be seen on video wrapping the baby boy up as a man frantically calls 911. The umbilical cord was still attached to him. Emergency responders transported the infant to a local hospital, where he is now in stable condition.

Police retrieved surveillance footage and tracked down Avila at her home. When they arrived, her parents told them that she was resting due to severe stomach pains. They seized her car and bloody clothing before she agreed to speak with them at the station. During her interview, Avila claimed a doctor told her she was pregnant on January 6th, just one day before she gave birth in the bathroom of her home. However, detectives learned that Avila was well aware of her pregnancy and told her 16-year-old ex-boyfriend and another friend she was expecting months ago. The child was supposed to be named Saul, according to the teen father, who is currently seeking custody. He told authorities that Avila told him she miscarried shortly before the baby was found alive in the dumpster.

One motive for Avila’s actions could be that the legal age of consent in New Mexico is 17, which means she had sex with the child’s father when he was underage. Avila could have landed in jail on sex offender charges if this had been found out. During her interview, she referred to the baby as “it” and remained quiet when investigators asked her if she knew what could’ve happened to the baby had he not been found.

Avila was arrested on Saturday. She was released later that evening on a $10,000 bond. She’s been charged with attempted murder and felony child abuse.