Mom Allegedly Left Newborn in Dumpster Because She 'Didn’t Want Her Boyfriend to Break Up With Her': Police
Everilda Cux-Ajtzalam, 18, was arrested and charged with a felony offense of abandoning a child
Content warning: The following article contains disturbing details.
A Texas woman is facing a felony charge after she allegedly left her newborn wrapped in plastic in a dumpster and, during the investigation, allegedly told authorities she did so to save her relationship with her boyfriend.
Everilda Cux-Ajtzalam, 18, was arrested and charged with a felony offense of abandoning a child in Harris County, Texas, on Sunday, July 21, according to a charging complaint reviewed by PEOPLE.
Cux-Ajtzalam, a food truck employee, allegedly gave birth to her baby “on the ground” behind the food truck where she works in Houston, authorities said in a probable cause document obtained by PEOPLE. The child was born the same day as when it was found, authorities said, per KHOU 11.
Related: Newborn Baby Found Abandoned by Dumpster in Houston, Suspect Identified
Cux-Ajtzalam then allegedly stuffed the child into a trash bag, along with the child’s umbilical cord and placenta, and dropped the child inside a dumpster, the probable cause document states.
The child, who had allegedly been left “tied inside the trash bag,” was rescued by a passerby who heard the infant crying and called 911, per authorities.
Cux-Ajtzalam was arrested later in the week, per authorities.
During the investigation, she allegedly told police she “had no other choice” but to dispose of the infant in this manner “because she didn’t want her boyfriend to break up with her,” the affidavit alleges.
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The incident was caught in nearby surveillance footage, police said, without providing further details.
The child was taken to a local hospital, the complaint states.
"It was pure luck that the child was found and received care," a judge said during Cux-Ajtzalam's court appearance on Friday, per KHOU 11.
A Harris County magistrate has issued a protective order against Cux-Ajtzalam, prohibiting her from coming near 200 feet of the child, according to an emergency protection filing reviewed by PEOPLE.
Cux-Ajtzalam has not yet entered a plea. A lawyer listed in court records told PEOPLE they are still reviewing the case, which the attorney was assigned this morning.
Cux-Ajtzalam is being held on a $200,000 bond, per authorities.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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