What sounded like a heartbreaking case of an infant secretly buried in a Mesilla-area park turned into something very different once detectives started digging. After a criminal excavation earlier this month, investigators uncovered a mid-size dog wrapped in a baby blanket, not a child. The spot had been arranged like a tiny gravesite, with large rocks, small toys and a tree marked with the handwritten words "RIP SANTI CLARK," according to officials.
According to the Mesilla Marshals Office, as reported by KVIA, marshals and Horizon City crime-scene personnel responded to Mesilla Community Park on March 11 after several callers reported what they believed was an infant burial. Responders found a grave-like area outlined with stones and notes. After they excavated roughly one foot, they located a baby blanket and, inside it, a mid-sized dog. Officials say Sgt. Detective/CSI Coordinator Danny Garcia brought in assistance from Horizon City Police CSI Supervisor Bernadette Ortega, described by authorities as a UTEP graduate with anthropology experience.
The scene and where it is
Investigators said the location appeared to be a shallow, roughly dug hollow encircled by stones and children's items, arranged in a way that suggested a memorial. The Mesilla Marshals Office worked alongside Horizon City CSI to carefully excavate the site and determine what had been buried. According to the Town of Mesilla facility listings, the community center and public-safety building are situated in the same general part of town as the park.
Charges and next steps
The Marshals Office says the burial is considered a criminal offense and that charges will be filed, KVIA reports. Authorities did not immediately release what specific counts might be pursued or whether anyone has been identified as a suspect. The investigation is ongoing, and deputies said additional information will be shared as it becomes available.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Marshals' non-emergency dispatch; the Town of Mesilla lists 575-526-0795 as the non-emergency number. Officials urged residents to report suspicious activity so investigators can quickly check it out and respond.
