New Mexico mother drowns newborn in port-a-potty moments after giving birth
A woman in New Mexico gave birth in a portable toilet and then drowned the newborn in the toilet’s holding tank, according to police.
Sonia Cristal Jimenez arrived at Memorial Medical Center around 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 7 appearing to have just delivered a baby, but she had no infant with her, Las Cruces police said.
Hospital staff, concerned by her condition, contacted authorities. Jimenez’s boyfriend told them he believed she had a miscarriage and said the couple had been at Burn Lake, about six miles away, where Jimenez had used a port-a-potty.
Police went to the location and recovered the newborn girl’s body from the toilet’s holding tank. Jimenez was arrested Wednesday and charged with one felony count of intentional child abuse resulting in death, police said.
“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. An autopsy confirmed the baby was alive at birth.
Police reported that “the blue chemical was found in the baby’s trachea, lungs, and stomach, confirming that she breathed and swallowed the liquid while alive.”
Jimenez is being held without bond at the Dona Ana County Detention Center. Chief Story said authorities will work closely with the district attorney’s office to seek justice for the infant.
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