Two people have been arrested in connection with the abandonment of a newborn girl found behind dumpsters at a Mississippi mobile home park. The baby, who was discovered in good condition, is recovering at a hospital. The incident has sparked discussions about Safe Haven laws, which allow parents to safely relinquish unharmed newborns without risk of prosecution. All 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico, have enacted Safe Haven laws, with some states offering anonymous Safe Haven Baby Boxes as a way for mothers to surrender their babies.
Jury selection has begun in the trial of Alexis Avila, a young mother from Hobbs, who is accused of abandoning her newborn son in a dumpster in January 2022. Avila, who was 18 at the time, claimed she had no idea she was pregnant and was worried about the consequences of having a baby at her age. She has been charged with abuse of a child resulting in great bodily harm intentional or recklessly. The baby, known as Saul, was found wrapped in trash bags and was taken to a local hospital. He was later released and taken in by his father and paternal grandparents. New Mexico Senator David Gallegos is reintroducing a bill to get baby boxes in all 33 counties in the state, in hopes of giving mothers a safe option to surrender their babies.
