What happened to Alexis Avila's baby? New Mexico mom convicted of endangering life of newborn

Alexis Avila, a 19-year-old from Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for tossing her newborn baby into a dumpster behind a shopping center in January 2022. A jury found Avila guilty of attempted first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in great bodily harm.

Alexis Avila, a 19-year-old from Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for tossing her newborn baby into a dumpster behind a shopping center in January 2022. A jury found Avila guilty of attempted first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in great bodily harm.

Alexis Avila placed her newborn in a dirty blanket or towel before throwing the baby into a trash bin in near-freezing temperatures. Investigators found surveillance video to identify a car suspected of being involved in the crime, leading to Avila's arrest, People reported.

The baby was found by a group of individuals who heard cries emerging from the dumpster. They dug through to discover a baby boy wrapped in a towel with its umbilical cord still attached. The AP reported that the baby was alive, and authorities suspect he was in the garbage for six hours and had hypothermia symptoms.

Avila was sentenced to 16 years in prison plus two years of probation (Image via Madalyn Bierster/Twitter)

Initially, Alexis Avila was sentenced to 18 years in prison, but state district judge William Shoobridge suspended two years of the punishment due to mental health concerns and the defendant's age. She will now serve 16 years, followed by two years of probation.

"I regret his first hours of life were traumatic": Alexis Avila on her baby's fate

Alexis Avila reportedly gave birth to her son in a family member's bathroom when she was 18 years old. In a criminal complaint, the teenager claimed she did not know she was pregnant until she went to the doctor for stomach pain.

Speaking to authorities, Avila said in an interview:

"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."

During the trial, Ibukun Adepoju, Avila's lawyer, requested that the judge be lenient with her sentencing, citing her lack of a criminal record, age, and cooperation with the court process. Adepoju argued that Avila's actions were not premeditated and that an undiagnosed mental health disorder was to be blamed.

Judge William Shoobridge ordered Alexis Avila to enroll in a parenting skills course, cognitive behavioral therapy, and higher education while serving her sentence.

During the trial, Shoobridge told Avila:

"You've given yourself a life sentence of knowing what you did with your child. And you've also given your son that same life sentence, and that is probably something that is as hard to deal with as any length of time that you may have in prison."

The accused also expressed regret for her actions, saying:

"I regret that his first hours of life were traumatic, and I regret that he will always have this in the back of his head and will think I do not love him because that's what he'll read and hear. But that's not true at all. I do love him. I truly do."

The baby, now named Saul, survived his injuries and is now in the care of other relatives. Alexis Avila was arrested on Monday, May 1, and will be released from prison when she is 34 years old.

Alexis Avila's crime was intentional and violent: Prosecutors

Alexis Avila threw her baby in a dumpster in Hobbs, near the Texas border, on a winter day. If the newborn was not found alive by some Good Samaritans, Avila would have been on trial for murder, warned Judge Shoobridge.

Prosecutors argued during the trial that the teen chose to ignore her pregnancy and place her infant baby into two trash bags. After she secured the trash bags with a hair tie, she tossed the baby boy into the bin.

Stephen Astorga, the baby's father, speaking on his son’s behalf, said:

"My son, my healthy, my loving and handsome baby boy, he is never going to forget the things you did. But, for that I can say that my son will be somebody one day, no matter how much he has been through."

Meanwhile, Domingo Avila, Alexis Avila's father, maintained that his daughter was raised in a loving home and hoped that one day he would be a part of his grandson's life, KCBD reported.

Prosecutors further stressed that the crime was "intentional" and "violent" and that Alexis Avila showed no remorse for her actions until she heard the guilty verdict. Police had obtained search warrants for Avila's car and her family's home, which led to the discovery of blood evidence, clothing, and a towel.

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