An 18-year-old mother in Texas has been arrested for allegedly throwing her newborn baby into a trash bag and dumping it in a dumpster. Everilda Cux-Ajtzalam reportedly told police she did this because she feared her boyfriend would break up with her if she didn't. Court records reviewed by Law&Crime show that she was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with felony abandoning a child without the intent to return.
Medics from the Houston Fire Department transported the baby to Texas Children's Hospital, where authorities reported that the child was stable and in good condition. After receiving treatment, the baby was placed in the custody of Child Protective Services.
Police quickly connected the newborn to a food truck and tracked down Cux-Ajtzalam. During an interview with detectives, she allegedly stated that she "had no choice" but to put the baby in the dumpster because "she didn't want her boyfriend to break up with her." Surveillance camera footage reportedly captured the event.
Cux-Ajtzalam, a Guatemalan national, made her first court appearance on Friday. Harris County District Court Judge Veronica M. Nelson harshly criticized her for leaving her son to die in the garbage, according to the Houston Chronicle.
"It was pure luck that the child was found and received care," Nelson reportedly said. "Given the fact that it's the middle of summer in Houston, Texas, and the temperature at the time noting the danger to the child; under those circumstances, I'm going to set the bail in this case at $90,000."
Prosecutors had requested a bond of $150,000, while Cux-Ajtzalam's public defender sought a bond of $7,500. Ultimately, the bond was set at $90,000, but records show that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a hold on her release. She remains in detention at the Harris County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
