Mother Arrested for 1987 Newborn Dumpster Death in California

Breakthrough in cold case achieved through advanced DNA technology, solving 37-year-old mystery.

Melissa Jean Allen Avila, 55, was identified and arrested for the death of her newborn found in a Riverside dumpster.
The case was reopened in 2020, leading to the breakthrough with forensic genetic genealogy.
Avila was 19 at the time of the incident and was located in North Carolina before being extradited to California.
Authorities confirmed no involvement from the newborn's father in the case.
California law now allows parents to safely surrender infants without fear of prosecution, a measure established in 2001.