An 18-year-old mother named Everilda Cux-Ajtzalam was arrested for throwing her newborn baby into a dumpster. She confessed to police that she felt compelled to do so to prevent her boyfriend from breaking up with her.
Cux-Ajtzalam was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with felony child abandonment. The criminal complaint filed in the District Court for Harris County detailed the events that unfolded on July 21, 2024. The young mother reportedly gave birth behind the food truck where she worked and then placed the baby, referred to as “John Doe” or “CW,” in a tied garbage bag before leaving him in a dumpster on Dashwood Drive in Houston, Texas.
After a passerby heard the newborn’s cries and alerted authorities, the Houston Police Department and emergency medical personnel responded promptly. The child was rescued from the dumpster and taken to Texas Children’s Hospital, where he was found to be stable and in good condition. Child Protective Services took custody of the infant after medical treatment.
Police were able to identify Cux-Ajtzalam as the mother through surveillance footage from the food truck. In her interview with detectives, she admitted that she felt she had no choice but to abandon the baby in the dumpster to keep her boyfriend from leaving her.
During her court appearance, Cux-Ajtzalam faced criticism from Harris County District Court Judge Veronica M. Nelson for her actions. The judge emphasized the dangerous circumstances the child was left in and set a bail of $90,000, despite the prosecution requesting $150,000 and the defense seeking $7,500. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a hold on her release, and she is currently detained at the Harris County Jail.
