Police say the discovery happened when the trio was going through the trash looking for anything of value.
Three people in New Mexico recently found a newborn inside a dumpster.
"Their collective quick response to this emergency, including notification of 911, was absolutely pivotal in saving this baby's life," August Fons, Hobbs Police chief, said.
Police say the trio was going through the trash looking for anything of value. They called 911 after discovering the baby boy, who was there for about six hours.
"When they heard what they thought was a baby crying," Fons adds, "They thought it may have been a dog or a kitten. So they removed a black trash bag. They opened it, and they saw that it was a human baby."
Surveillance video of a young woman tossing the black garbage bag into the dumpster, and her license plate number, led police in Hobbs, New Mexico, to 18-year-old Alexis Avila.
"She said she was not aware that she was pregnant until January 6, 2022, when she sought medical attention for abdominal pain and constipation," Fons noted.
"She further explained that she panicked, did not know what to do or who to call. She stated that she then cut the umbilical cord, wrapped the baby in a towel, and placed the baby inside a white trash bag containing some trash."
Avila has been arrested and charged with attempted murder and child abuse, and Fons shared this message about Safe Haven laws:
"A person may leave an infant with the staff of the Safe Haven site without being subjected to criminal prosecution for abandonment or abuse if the infant was born within 90 days of being left at the Safe Haven site."
In a statement to Inside Edition Digital, 9th District public defender Ibukun Adepoju, who is representing Avila, said, "Alexis is barely 18 herself. Whatever happened is already a tragedy for her family and the community. As humans, we should practice compassion as we wait for the justice system to work."
The baby was airlifted to a hospital in Lubbock, Texas, for special care.
