Texas – A Texas woman was sentenced to seven years in a Texas state correctional facility after the 19-year-old woman pleaded guilty to one count of feIony abandoning a child in imminent danger of bodiIy injury, as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. She received credit for approximately one year already served while in custody at the county jail.
The investigation process began in July last year when the young mom, EveriIda, deIivered her chiId behind the truck where she worked in Texas. According to court documents, shortly after deIivery, she placed the newborn, including pIacenta and umbiIical cord, into a tied trash bag and dumped the bag into a nearby dumpster behind an apartment complex. Surveillance footage allegedly recorded the sequence of events from birth through abandonment.
The victim was rescued when a passerby reportedly heard the baby crying from inside the dumpster and called 911. Emergency responders removed the baby, wrapped him in a blanket with wet hair visible and fresh umbilical cord attached, and transported him to Texas Children’s Hospital. Doctors confirmed the newborn, later referred to as GabrieI, was in stable condition and was placed in the custody of Child Protective Services.
Investigators swiftly linked the scene to the truck workplace and identified the young woman. In an interview with Texas authorities, she reportedly said that she had no other choice but to discard the baby because she afraid her partner would Ieave her. That statement formed part of the probable cause affidavit and was repeatedly cited in bonds and court filings.
At her initial court appearance, Judge NeIson criticized the abandonment as reckless and fatal in potential, noting that in mid‑summer heat it was pure luck the baby survived. She set bail initially at $90,000; that amount was later raised to $200,000 when the defendant was deemed a flight risk, partly due to her undocumented immigration status and lack of community ties. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a hold on her release to prevent deportation proceedings without notice to federal authorities.
Court records indicate the defendant came to the U.S. from GuatemaIa as an unaccompanied minor and worked at the truck to support her family back home. She has claimed that the baby was conceived through r-pe by a family member, that she did not know she was pregnant until late in the pregnancy, and that she avoided medical care due to fear of deportation. She also reported being unaware of Texas’s Baby Moses law, which allows a parent to surrender an infant safely at designated locations without criminal penalties.
On Monday, the mother formally entered her plea. No immediate comment was provided by her defense following sentencing, though prosecutors noted that GabrieI is currently healthy and thriving in foster care thanks to the intervention of a passerby who heard his cries.
The defendant is expected to be deported after completing her prison term. At this time, there have been no public notices of appeal or further motions. The child remains safe in foster care, and authorities emphasize the incident underscores gaps in awareness of child-surrender laws and challenges faced by vulnerable migrant women.