An 18-year-old woman has been charged with a severe crime after Houston police say she abandoned her newborn baby in a dumpster. Everlida Cux-Ajtzalam is accused of the third-degree felony of abandoning a child without intent to return, reported Click2Houston. Cux-Ajtzalam allegedly gave birth behind the food truck where she was employed, then she proceeded to allegedly tie the baby in a trash bag, complete with placenta and umbilical cord, and placed the newborn into the dumpster.
The disturbing incident was brought to light when a passerby, having heard crying from the dumpster located on the 6000 block of Dashwood Drive, alerted authorities. The baby was subsequently transported to Texas Children’s Hospital and is now reported to be in good health by a Houston Police Department spokesperson, as stated by the Houston Chronicle. Child Protective Services have to taken custody of the child.
Cux-Ajtzalam's initial court appearance brought concern for the child's well-being, with Judge Veronica Nelson noting the grave risk posed by Houston's midsummer heat. "It was pure luck that the child was found and received care," said Nelson, in a remark obtained by the Houston Chronicle. The bail for Cux-Ajtzalam was set at $90,000, which is significantly lower than the $150,000 requested by the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
This case has swiftly become part of a broader conversation on social media, with some arguing that the current climate in Texas, following the ban on abortions, may be contributing to inadvertently drive a rise in such tragic occurrences. Others swiftly pointed out the availability of Texas’ Baby Moses Law, which permits the safe relinquishment of children by mothers in desperate predicaments. A related investigation by the Houston Chronicle uncovered that since 2009, just 172 infants have been surrendered in Texas under the Baby Moses Law, compared to an average of 100 babies found abandoned each year. Cux-Ajtzalam, meanwhile, is reported to have been previously arrested by Customs and Border Patrol and is considered a flight risk, contributing to her currently set bail amount.
The case comes amid a particularly alarming streak of similar incidents in the area, with three other babies found abandoned in Houston just in the previous month. Cux-Ajtzalam's next court appearance is scheduled for July 29, according to court records cited by Click2Houston.
