New Mexico Woman Gives Birth in Portable Toilet, Drowns Infant
In a shocking and heartbreaking incident, a woman from New Mexico gave birth in a portable toilet and then drowned the infant in the device’s holding tank, as reported by the Las Cruces police.
The woman, identified as Sonia Cristal Jimenez, walked into Memorial Medical Center around 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 7, appearing as if she had just given birth but had no baby with her, causing alarm among the hospital staff who then contacted the authorities.
Upon questioning, Jimenez’s boyfriend mentioned that he thought she was having a miscarriage and revealed that they had been at Burn Lake, where Jimenez had used a port-a-potty. Las Cruces police rushed to the scene and discovered the newborn girl’s body in the toilet’s holding tank.
Jimenez was arrested and charged with one felony count of intentional child abuse resulting in death. Las Cruces police Chief Jeremy Story expressed his shock and dismay over the incident, calling it one of the most heartbreaking and disturbing cases he has encountered in his career.
An autopsy on Jimenez’s baby revealed that the infant was alive at birth. The presence of a blue chemical in the baby’s trachea, lungs, and stomach confirmed that she had breathed and swallowed the liquid while alive.
Jimenez is currently held without bond at the Dona Ana County Detention Center, and authorities are working closely with the district attorney’s office to seek justice for the baby.
