Mother Arrested 37 Years After Found Murder of Newborn in Riverside Dumpster
Cold Case Breakthrough: DNA Leads to Arrest in 1987 Riverside Newborn Homicide
According to True Crime News, nearly 37 years after the murder of a newborn baby girl was found in a dumpster in Riverside, California, police have arrested the baby’s mother. Back in October 1987, someone looking for recyclables found the murder of a newborn’s body in a plastic bag behind a business on La Sierra Avenue. At the time, the case was ruled a homicide, but investigators couldn’t find a suspect, and the case went cold. In 2020, with new DNA testing technology and the efforts of the Riverside Police Department’s Cold Case Unit, the case was reopened. Working with Othram Labs, a genetic genealogy company, investigators created a detailed DNA profile that led them to Melissa Avila, who was 19 years old when the incident happened.
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37-Year-Old Mystery Solved: Mother Arrested in 1987 Riverside Murder of a Newborn Girl – Be Aware! (PHOTO: KTLA)
Melissa Avila Arrested in North Carolina for 1987 Riverside Newborn Murder
Avila, now 55, was found in Shelby, North Carolina, with help from U.S. Marshals and brought back to Riverside County, where she now faces first-degree murder charges. She is being held on $1.1 million bail. Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez praised the hard work of the investigators, saying that identifying the victim and arresting the suspect finally brings some resolution to this decades-old case. The murder of a newborn arrest shows the police department’s commitment to finding justice for victims and bringing closure to their families.
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