Everilda Cux-Ajtzalam abandons newborn in Houston, Texas dumpster so boyfriend wouldn’t break up with her. The 18 year old teen is id as an illegal immigrant hailing from Guatemala.
An 18 year old teen in Texas has been accused of throwing her newborn baby in a trash bag and tossing the infant in a dumpster, telling Houston police she ‘she had no choice’ or else her boyfriend would ‘break up with her’.
Everilda Cux-Ajtzalam was taken arrested on July 23rd, Thursday and charged with one count of felony abandoning a child without the intent to return, Click2Houston reported.
According to police, Cux-Ajtzalam, a foreign national hailing from Guatemalan and believed to be in the U.S illegally, allegedly gave birth to a baby on the ground behind a food truck where she was working in the 6020 block of Dashwood Drive.
Afraid her boyfriend would break up with her
After giving birth, court records state that the teenager tied the baby, placenta, and umbilical cord into a trash bag before placing it inside a nearby dumpster, leaving the newborn baby behind.
A passerby heard the baby crying for help and called 911 to recover the child.
Medics with the Houston Fire Department transported the victim to Texas Children’s Hospital for treatment. Authorities said the child was stable and in good condition. After being treated, he was placed into the custody of Child Protective Services.
Cux-Ajtzalam was identified as the teen who gave birth and throwing away her newborn after the entire episode was caught on surveillance video.
During questioning, the 18 year old allegedly told investigators that she that she had no other choice than to throw her baby away because she didn’t want her boyfriend to break up with her.
ICE places hold on teen’s release
Making a court appearance on Friday, Harris County District Court Judge Veronica M. Nelson reprimanded the teen for leaving the infant to effectively die.
‘It was pure luck that the child was found and received care,’ Nelson reportedly said according to the Houston Chronicle. ‘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.’
Cux-Ajtzalan, a Guatemalan national, is said to be a flight risk, having no ties to the country. She is currently in jail with a $90,000 bond according to lawandcrime.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has since placed a hold on her release, records show.
Cux-Ajtzalan was next scheduled to appear in court on Monday, July 29.
The case highlights the importance of Texas’s Safe Haven Law, which allows parents who are unable to care for their baby to surrender the child at designated safe locations such as hospitals, fire stations, or freestanding emergency centers without facing legal repercussions. The baby must be younger than 60 days old and unharmed.
