More than a year after the horrific event, the Houston lady who caused national indignation by leaving her infant in a dumpster has been told her fate.
In a case that garnered national attention, Everilda Cux-Ajtzalam pleaded guilty to felony child desertion and was sentenced Monday to seven years in a state correctional facility, according to Law & Crime. As part of a plea agreement, Cux-Ajtzalam acknowledged putting her infant in a trash bag and throwing him behind a taco truck in southwest Houston. Harris County District Judge Veronica M. Nelson then imposed the sentence.
Authorities claim that on July 21, 2023, Cux-Ajtzalam, who was employed at the taco truck, gave birth by herself. The young woman was seen on surveillance cameras delivering the baby, who authorities eventually named Gabriel, and almost immediately putting him in a garbage bag, then a garbage can, and finally a dumpster.
An illegal alien from Guatemala is the woman from Texas who left a newborn baby in a dumpster.
The most heartbreaking catastrophe
Everilda Cux-Ajtzalam, 18, was an unaccompanied child who had entered the country illegally.
Police claim that pic.twitter.com/Q85rcLhy7e
August 2, 2024, Trumpusa1 (@Trumpusa1A1)
Shortly after, a neighbor at a nearby apartment building heard the infant wailing from the dumpster and dialed 911. After being saved by firefighters, the baby was taken to the hospital and placed in foster care.
A few days later, Cux-Ajtzalam was taken into prison and held at the Harris County Jail until her sentencing. Speaking through a Kiche interpreter, she entered her guilty plea on Monday in a courtroom that was largely deserted. When the judge asked her to affirm her plea, she replied, “Yes, it came from my heart.”
Fitzgerald Eze, her defense lawyer, declined to comment after the court. Additionally, prosecutors made no additional statements in court. According to a county official, the infant, who is currently doing well in foster care, is grateful that the bystander who heard his cries acted quickly to save his life.
According to the spokeswoman, baby Gabriel is now living with his foster parents and is doing well. We are appreciative of the individual who heard Gabriel’s cries from the dumpster, phoned the police, and eventually prevented Gabriel’s death.
#HoustonEverilda Cux-Ajtzalam, who is 18 years old, faces charges for leaving behind her newborn child. Today, their bank account was increased to $200,000. In the hospital, in the care of CPS, is baby Gabriel.image.twitter.com/CppJpZ7Cdc
July 29, 2024, Leslie Enriquez (@LeslieEnriquez)
At least five incidences of newborn abandonment were reported in the Houston area in the summer of 2023, including Cux-Ajtzalam’s arrest. The bodies of two of the infants were discovered. The series of incidents spurred public discussion regarding Texas’ tight abortion restrictions and whether the state’s Safe Haven legislation—also referred to as the Baby Moses law—is sufficiently publicized.
Unharmed babies may be lawfully turned over by parents at specified sites, such fire stations or hospitals, without any questions asked.
Last year, Cux-Ajtzalam told The Washington Post that she moved to Houston from Guatemala and worked in a taco truck for about $500 a month to support her family back home. She also disclosed that she was afraid her boyfriend would break up with her if he found out about the baby and that Gabriel was the victim of a rape. She asserted that she was unaware of the Baby Moses law.
Her lawyer claims that Cux-Ajtzalam had renamed her son Nathaniel and was hoping to reunite with him in the future. That future is still up in the air. She is anticipated to be deported after completing her sentence.
