A California cold case investigation team has apprehended and charged a woman who allegedly threw her newborn’s remains in a dumpster nearly 40 years ago.
On Thursday, August 8, the Riverside Police Department, located east of Los Angeles, revealed in a news release that the Riverside County regional cold case squad had discovered a suspect in a decades-old case utilizing DNA.
Melissa Jean Allen Avila, 55, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder for her child’s death, according to jail records.
According to police, a baby girl’s body was discovered on Oct. 13, 1987, when a guy was looking among dumpsters behind a shop.
The Riverside County Coroner’s Office deemed the baby’s death a homicide at the time, but the case went cold after detectives discovered no additional evidence. “Riverside Police Homicide Detectives worked diligently on this case, but all leads were exhausted and a suspect was not identified,” police stated in a press release.
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The agency established a Homicide Cold investigation Unit in 2020 and revived the investigation, eventually identifying Avila as the child’s mother using DNA evidence and the assistance of the charity organization Season of Justice, according to the release.
According to the news announcement, Season of Justice provides financial help to authorities and families seeking to solve cold cases using DNA and genealogy.
Avila would have been 19 when her daughter died, and police stated that “detectives have no reason to believe the baby’s father had any criminal culpability in the murder.” No other information concerning the method of death has been published.
Avila was apprehended in Shelby, North Carolina, and local authorities collaborated with U.S. Marshals to bring her to Riverside County. According to jail records, she was arrested on Monday, August 5, around 11:30 a.m. and lodged in the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, California.
Police said she’s being held on $1,100,000 bail.
The Riverside Police Department further stated that California passed the Safe Arms for Newborns (commonly known as the Safely Surrendered Baby Law) in 2001. According to the law, parents of newborns three days old or younger may surrender their children to any hospital emergency department or fire station without fear of prosecution.
The California Department of Social Services website provides information about Safely Surrender Baby site locations and other topics.
“Thanks to the persistent efforts of our investigators and partners, this victim now has an identity, bringing closure to the case,” Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez stated in the press release. “We will remain dedicated to seeking justice for homicide victims and ensuring their families find closure.”