A Las Cruces woman has been arrested after dumping her newborn baby in a portable toilet in Burn Lake. The woman, Sonia Cristal Jimenez, 36, is suspected of giving birth to a baby girl Saturday evening in a portable toilet at Burn Lake, then disposing of the newborn in the holding tank. Around 10:30 p.m., on Feb. 7, staff at Memorial Medical Center notified police that Jimenez had arrived at the hospital and had appeared to have just delivered a baby, but the baby was not with her. Through investigation, police learned that Jimenez’s boyfriend, who took Jimenez to the hospital, mentioned they were previously at Burn Lake and Jimenez had used the portable toilet. Las Cruces Police then responded to Burn Lake off Burn Lake Road and located the deceased newborn in the holding tank of a portable toilet. Investigators believe that Jimenez gave birth to the baby, cut the umbilical cord, and then placed the baby in a holding tank, where she drowned. The autopsy revealed that the baby was still alive when she was dropped in the portable toilet. The autopsy showed that she breathed and swallowed the blue chemical liquid commonly used in portable restroom sanitation. The blue chemical was found in the baby’s trachea, lungs and stomach, confirming that she breathed and swallowed the liquid while alive.Investigators found out that Jimenez’s boyfriend was unaware that she was pregnant or had given birth. No charges against him are anticipated.LCPD investigators obtained a warrant for the arrest of Jimenez. She was taken into custody Wednesday morning and booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center, where she is initially being held without bond.Jimenez is charged with one felony count of intentional child abuse resulting in death. The charge is a first-degree felony.
A Las Cruces woman has been arrested after dumping her newborn baby in a portable toilet in Burn Lake.
The woman, Sonia Cristal Jimenez, 36, is suspected of giving birth to a baby girl Saturday evening in a portable toilet at Burn Lake, then disposing of the newborn in the holding tank.
Around 10:30 p.m., on Feb. 7, staff at Memorial Medical Center notified police that Jimenez had arrived at the hospital and had appeared to have just delivered a baby, but the baby was not with her.
Through investigation, police learned that Jimenez’s boyfriend, who took Jimenez to the hospital, mentioned they were previously at Burn Lake and Jimenez had used the portable toilet.
Las Cruces Police then responded to Burn Lake off Burn Lake Road and located the deceased newborn in the holding tank of a portable toilet.
Investigators believe that Jimenez gave birth to the baby, cut the umbilical cord, and then placed the baby in a holding tank, where she drowned.
The autopsy revealed that the baby was still alive when she was dropped in the portable toilet. The autopsy showed that she breathed and swallowed the blue chemical liquid commonly used in portable restroom sanitation. The blue chemical was found in the baby’s trachea, lungs and stomach, confirming that she breathed and swallowed the liquid while alive.
Investigators found out that Jimenez’s boyfriend was unaware that she was pregnant or had given birth. No charges against him are anticipated.
LCPD investigators obtained a warrant for the arrest of Jimenez. She was taken into custody Wednesday morning and booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center, where she is initially being held without bond.
Jimenez is charged with one felony count of intentional child abuse resulting in death. The charge is a first-degree felony.
