Teen mom convicted by jury after shown throwing newborn in dumpster

LOVINGTON, N.M. (KDBC) — A new mom who was caught on video throwing her newborn son into a dumpster was found guilty of attempted first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in great bodily harm.

Alexis Avila, 19, wrapped her baby boy in multiple plastic bags filled with trash before driving him behind a mall in New Mexico and throwing him into a dumpster, District Attorney Dianna Luce said.

Avila was 18 years old when she committed the crime just hours after giving birth on Jan. 7, 2022.

The guilty verdict came Friday.

We are thankful that this jury honored the precious life of this baby boy and rejected the defendant’s self-serving excuses for this crime,” Luce said. “This verdict proves that children are entitled to the full protection of the law and that wrongdoers who hurt children in New Mexico will be prosecuted vigorously.

State Attorney General Raúl Torrez also weighed in, saying,

We were astounded to watch the defendant, during her testimony, show no remorse for the harm she caused her newborn baby when she threw him in the dumpster. Thank you to the jury that helped deliver justice to this child.

The Hobbs Police Department the baby was found when two men and a woman looking through the dumpster heard cries, and that was after more than five hours in freezing cold conditions.

The mother, Avila, told a police investigator she didn't know she was pregnant until the day before and panicked.

I went to the restroom and it came out. I was in a panic and didn't know what to do. I was scared. I was so scared my mom was going to hate me," Avila told police in an interview.

The infant was taken to a hospital in Lubbock, Texas, and then transferred to the care of the New Mexico Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

Avila is expected to be sentenced on May 1.

New Mexico, like many other states, has a safe-haven law that lets a parent place their unwanted infant in a safe location — such as a hospital, police station, or fire station — to get medical care, with no requirement to identify themselves.