A woman has been arrested in connection with a nearly 37-year-old cold case in which a newborn baby was found dead in a California dumpster, according to police.
Melissa Jean Allen Avila, 55, was taken into custody Friday on a murder charge and was being held in La. on $1.1 million bail, according to the Riverside Police Department. Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility.
Avila was 19 years old when she was accused of leaving her dead baby girl in a dumpster behind a business at 5400 La Sierra Avenue in Riverside, California, in October 1987.
According to police, a man found the baby while rummaging through boxes looking for recyclable items.
Missing California mother found dead near hiking trail after partner threatened 3-year-old daughter: police
Melissa Jean Allen Avila, 55, was arrested on murder charges. (Riverside Police Department)
The Riverside County Coroner’s Office ruled the newborn’s death a homicide, but the police department’s homicide detectives exhausted all leads and were unable to identify a suspect at the time.
But in 2020, the case was reopened, and a DNA sample was used to confirm that Avila was the baby’s mother. Detectives have no reason to believe the baby’s father bears any criminal responsibility in the child’s murder.
Avila was eventually found living in Shelby, North Carolina. She was detained and extradited to California.
Massachusetts suspect arrested after decades-old crime chase in Los Angeles
A man found the baby while rummaging through boxes looking for recyclable items. (Riverside Police Department)
Click here to get the Fox News app
“Thanks to the tireless efforts of our investigators and partners, this victim now has an identity and the case is resolved,” Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez said in a statement. “We will “We remain committed to seeking justice for homicide victims and ensuring relief for their families.”
Avila’s arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 9.
