A North Carolina woman has been arrested in connection with a cold case from 1987 in which a newborn baby was found dead in a California trash can last week. New York Post Reported.
According to Riverside police, Melissa Jean Allen Avila, now 55, was taken into custody Friday and booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility. Avila was found living in Shelby, North Carolina, and was extradited to California, the report said.
Avila is accused of abandoning his then 19-year-old daughter in a trash can in October nearly 37 years ago. He allegedly left the baby in a trash can behind a store in the 5400 block of La Sierra Avenue in Riverside, California.
Police say a man searching through trash bins for recyclables discovered the baby.
The Riverside County Coroner’s Office ruled the infant’s death a homicide. Police Department homicide detectives had exhausted all leads at the time, and the case remains unsolved.
The case was reopened in 2020, and detectives used a DNA sample to identify Avila as the newborn’s mother. Detectives said they do not believe the father was involved in the baby’s murder, according to the report.
“Thanks to the tireless work of our investigators and partners, the victim has been identified and this case is now closed,” Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzales said in a statement. “We are committed to seeking justice for the homicide victim and providing closure for her family.”
Avila’s bail has been set at $1.1 million, according to police. Her arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 9.
