A decades-old mystery has finally been solved with the arrest of a North Carolina woman in connection with the 1987 murder of a newborn baby found in a California dumpster. Melissa Jean Allen Avila, 55, was apprehended last week and is being held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility.
Avila, who was 19 at the time of the crime, is accused of abandoning her deceased infant daughter in a dumpster behind a business on La Sierra Avenue in Riverside, California. The baby’s lifeless body was discovered by a man rummaging through the dumpster for recyclables.
The Riverside County Coroner’s Office classified the baby’s death as a homicide, but despite an initial investigation, the case went cold due to a lack of leads. However, in 2020, detectives reopened the case and utilized DNA evidence to identify Avila as the baby’s mother.
According to authorities, the child’s father is not believed to have been involved in the infant’s murder. Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez praised the tireless efforts of investigators, saying, “This victim now has an identity, bringing resolution to the case. We will continue to seek justice for homicide victims and provide closure for their families.”
Avila is being held on $1.1 million bail and is scheduled to appear in court on September 9. Her extradition from North Carolina, where she had been living in Shelby, marked a significant breakthrough in the long-dormant case.
