A 38-year-old woman, Sonia Cristal Jimenez, was arrested after arriving at Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces appearing to have just given birth but without a newborn. Police later found the infant girl dead in the holding tank of a portable toilet at Burn Lake, about six miles from the hospital. An autopsy found the baby had inhaled and swallowed blue sanitation liquid, and Jimenez faces a first-degree felony charge of intentional child abuse resulting in death.
New Mexico Woman Charged After Infant Found Dead In Portable Toilet Holding Tank
New Mexico mother accused of drowning newborn in portable toilet after giving birth
A 38-year-old woman has been arrested after police say a newborn was found dead in the holding tank of a portable toilet following an apparent birth at a nearby lake.
Authorities identified the suspect as Sonia Cristal Jimenez. According to a Las Cruces Police Department press release, Jimenez arrived at Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces at about 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 7 appearing to have just given birth, but she came to the hospital without an infant.
Investigation and Discovery
Hospital staff notified police after the unusual encounter. Jimenez's boyfriend told investigators the couple had been at Burn Lake, roughly six miles from the hospital, and that the woman had used a portable toilet while there. Officers responded to the remote area and located the newborn girl deceased in the portable toilet's holding tank.
Police found the infant girl dead in the portable toilet's holding tank.(iStock)
Autopsy Findings
Investigators say an autopsy found evidence that the baby had inhaled and swallowed the blue sanitation liquid used in the portable toilet. The chemical was reportedly present in the infant's trachea, lungs and stomach, which officials say indicates the newborn breathed and swallowed the fluid while alive.
Charges and Custody
Jimenez was arrested and charged with intentional child abuse resulting in death, a first-degree felony. She was booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center and is being held without bond. Police indicated they do not expect to charge Jimenez's boyfriend, believing he was unaware she had given birth.
"This is one of the most heartbreaking and disturbing cases I have encountered in my career," Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremy Story told the Santa Fe New Mexican.
The investigation remains active as authorities continue to gather evidence and interview witnesses.
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