(DailyVantage.com) – The Guatemalan national accused of throwing her newborn baby into a dumpster in Houston had her bond increased last Monday to $200,000.
Everilda Cux-Ajtzalam, 18, was arrested on July 23 and charged with felony child abandonment in the third degree and was initially held on a $90,000 bond.
During her initial court hearing on July 26, Harris County District Judge Veronica Nelson told Cux-Ajtzalam that it was only by “pure luck” that the newborn was found quickly and received medical care.
Judge Nelson noted that the infant was left in a dumpster in the “middle of summer in Houston” where high temperatures further placed the newborn’s life in danger.
According to court records, the 18-year-old gave birth to the child behind the taco truck where she was working. She then placed the newborn in a garbage bag along with the placenta and umbilical cord and then dumped the bag into a nearby dumpster before returning to the taco truck.
The baby’s cries were heard by a passerby who called 911. First responders rescued the newborn who was rushed to a nearby hospital.
According to Houston Police, the disposal of the infant was captured on surveillance footage from the area.
When she was interviewed by police, Cux-Ajtzalam allegedly said she had no choice but to dispose of the newborn because she did not want her boyfriend to break up with her for having a baby.
In a subsequent July 29 hearing, Harris County prosecutors requested that the judge hold Cux-Ajtzalam on a bond of $150,000, arguing that the Guatemalan national had no ties to the community.
Cux-Ajtzalama’s public defender requested a bond of no more than $7,500.
The judge raised Cux-Ajtzalama’s bond to $200,000.
The infant is now under the care of the county’s Child Protective Services and is reportedly doing well.
According to Customs and Border Protection records, the teenage migrant was previously arrested in 2023 and reportedly suffers from an undisclosed mental health issue.
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