Woman arrested in 37-year-old unsolved case for allegedly leaving dead newborn in California dumpster

Police say a woman has been arrested in connection with a nearly 37-year-old unsolved case in which a dead newborn baby was found in a dumpster in California.

Melissa Jean Allen Avila, now 55, was arrested on murder charges Friday and booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility on $1.1 million bail, Riverside police said.

Avila is accused of leaving her deceased infant daughter in a dumpster behind a store in the 5400 block of La Sierra Avenue in Riverside, California in October 1987 when she was 19 years old.

According to police, a man discovered the baby while rummaging through recyclables.

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The newborn's death was ruled a homicide by the Riverside County Coroner's Office, but the police homicide unit followed all leads and was unable to identify a suspect at this time.

But in 2020, the case was reopened and Avila was identified as the baby's mother through DNA samples. Investigators have no reason to believe that the baby's father was criminally responsible for the child's murder.

Eventually, it was discovered that Avila lived in Shelby, North Carolina. She was taken into custody and extradited to California.

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A man discovered the baby while rummaging through recyclables. (Riverside Police Department)

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“Thanks to the persistent efforts of our investigators and partners, this victim now has an identity, which brings closure to the case,” Police Chief Larry Gonzalez said in a statement. “We will continue to work to obtain justice for murder victims and ensure their families have closure.”

Avila's arraignment is scheduled for September 9.