Los Angeles, Ca

Mother arrested 37 years after baby's body found in California dumpster

Published

1 year ago

August 8, 2024

Mother arrested 37 years after baby's body found in California dumpster

A woman has been arrested and faces charges in the death of a newborn baby girl whose body was found inside a dumpster 37 years ago in Southern California.

The baby’s body was found on Oct. 13, 1987, by a man rummaging for recyclables in a dumpster behind a business on the 5400 block of La Sierra Avenue in Riverside.

The newborn’s death was ruled a homicide by the Riverside County Coroner’s Office and although the Riverside Police Department investigated the case, “all leads were exhausted and a suspect was not identified.”

A crime scene photo from the night a baby’s body was found in a dumpster in Riverside on Oct. 13, 1987. (Riverside Police Department)
A crime scene photo from the night a baby’s body was found in a dumpster in Riverside on Oct. 13, 1987. (Riverside Police Department)

The investigation was eventually closed until the Police Department formed a homicide cold case unit in 2020 and a new generation of detectives began looking into the child’s death.

Through modern DNA technology, detectives were able to identify the baby’s mother as 55-year-old Melissa Jean Allen Avila.

Avila was 19 at the time of the baby’s death.

After she was identified, local police worked with the U.S. Marshals Service to locate Avila, who had since left Riverside County and California altogether.

She was eventually located in Shelby, North Carolina, and was arrested by local authorities for murder. On Monday, she was brought back to Riverside County to face charges for killing her daughter.

The booking photo of Melissa Jean Allen Avila, 55, of Shelby, North Carolina. Avila is suspected in the death of her newborn daughter 37 years ago. (Riverside Police Department)

She’s currently housed at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning and is being held on $1.1 million bail.

Avila is due in court on Sept. 9, at which point she is expected to be charged with first-degree murder.

Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez said his department and the detectives working cold cases are dedicated to “seeking justice for homicide victims and ensuring their families find closure.”

The Riverside Police Department also said the arrest would not have been possible without help from law enforcement partners across the state and nation, as well as the nonprofit organization Season of Justice, which helped fund the DNA analysis that ultimately led to the identification of the newborn baby and the person accused in her death.

“This victim now has an identity, bringing resolution to the case,” Gonzalez said.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information about the 1987 homicide or the suspect is urged to contact the RPD Homicide Cold Case Unit by email or by calling 951-320-8000.

Detectives say they do not have any reason to believe the baby’s biological father has any “criminal culpability in the murder.”

To read more of the cold case homicides in the Riverside area that remain unsolved, click here.

In 2001, California passed the Safe Arms for Newborns law which allows a parent or legal guardian to confidentially surrender a newborn, three days or younger, any hospital emergency room or fire station.

If the baby has not suffered abuse or neglect, that person may surrender the child without fear of arrest or prosecutions, police officials said.

For more information about these safe surrender sites, as well as additional resources for parents in need, visit the California Department of Social Services website.

Los Angeles, Ca

Ditch typing and note-taking – try these apps

Published

9 months ago

March 19, 2025

Press Room

Ditch typing and note-taking – try these apps

The future of voice to text is here.

I’ve been testing a variety of tools that make taking notes, transcribing audio, and even voice typing faster and easier than ever.

If you have a smartphone, you’re already halfway there!

Google’s Pixel Recorder app is free and built into their smartphone. It’s excellent for transcribing meetings, lectures, and conversations – all in real time.

Apple’s Voice Memos App recently added transcriptions if you’re upgraded to iOS 18.

Samsung’s Voice recorder app now offers transcripts too – as long as you’re on their latest One UI 7 software. (Check Settings > About Phone > Software Information)

Got an older phone? Try Otter.AI. It works great for transcriptions across devices and you get 300 minutes a month free.

Don’t want to tie up your phone?

I’ve been testing AI-powered digital audio recorders from a startup named Plaud.

The Plaud Note is thin, records for hours, and can even clip to the back of your phone to record calls. Just make sure you know your local laws before using that feature.

The Plaud Pin can be clipped to your shirt or worn on your wrist for hands-free recording.

Both devices sync audio to a companion app that auto transcribes and summarizes.

You get five hours of transcription a month included, with options to pay for more.

Pricing for each gadget starts around $160 dollars.

Want to transcribe audio files on your computer?

My favorite Mac app is MacWhisper. You can even get it completely free – although paid versions are avaialble with more features and options.

On Windows, check out Vibe Transcribe, also free.

And for a web-based option, Whisper Web gets the job done.

Finally, if you want to type less and talk more… there’s an excellent AI voice-to-text app called Wispr Flow. It was previously Mac only but just became avaialble for Windows, too.

One you install it, you pick a hotkey. Then, instead of typing just press and hold down that key and dictate what you want to write.

Since it uses the power of AI, you can even stumble or ramble and it will clean up your words and get the punctionation right.

It’s a gamechanger for responding to emails fast! You get 2,000 words free each week with options to pay for more.

Enjoy your newfound time!

Los Angeles, Ca

Prison officer survives alleged attack by inmate transferred from L.A. County

Published

9 months ago

March 18, 2025

Press Room

Prison officer survives alleged attack by inmate transferred from L.A. County

An alleged attack on a state prison officer by a 43-year-old inmate transferred from Los Angeles County is being investigated as attempted homicide, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials announced Tuesday.

The March 18 incident at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad reportedly unfolded just before 9 a.m. on what authorities describe as a “dayroom floor.”

The inmate, Anthony G. Ramirez, is believed to have pulled an improvised weapon from his waistband before attempting to attack custody staff member, according to a CDCR news release.

“Staff immediately responded, disarming Ramirez and placing him in handcuffs without incident,” the release detailed.

Anthony G. Ramiez, 43, seen in this undated mug shot. (CDCR)

The 43-year-old, who was transferred to SVSP in 2008 after being sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for second-degree murder, with enhancements for the use of a firearm and causing great bodily injury or death, was placed in restrictive housing pending the investigation and possible felony prosecution by the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.

Both Ramirez and the custody staff member were examined by medical personnel who noted no serious injuries.

Officials said that the California Correctional Peace Officers Association was notified of the incident and prison staff were offered peer support services and employee assistance programs.

Salinas Valley State Prison, opened in 1996, houses more than 2,400 minimum, medium, maximum and high-security inmates. The facility also offers vocational programs and academic classes and employs some 1,800 people.

Los Angeles, Ca

Algal bloom sickening marine mammals off Southern California 'will only get worse'

Published

9 months ago

March 18, 2025

Press Room

Algal bloom sickening marine mammals off Southern California 'will only get worse'

A toxic algal bloom leaving an increasing number of marine mammals stranded along Southern California beaches shows no signs of subsiding and “will only get worse,” officials said Monday.

“This week, we saw more stranded dolphins (both alive and deceased) than we saw during the major domoic acid (DA) bloom in 2023,” Marine Mammal Care Center (MMCC) Los Angeles posted on Facebook.

Recent tests showed DA-producing algae levels have increased, and officials believe that trend will continue in the coming weeks. “We anticipate that it will only get worse,” the post read.

MMCC asked the public not to approach sick dolphins or sea lions on the beach because they can become aggressive upon awakening from a seizure.

A dolphin stranded at Dockweiler North is seen in an image posted on March 13, 2025. (L.A. County Fire Department, Lifeguard Division)

“This is a safety issue for people and their pets as much as it is for the marine mammals,” officials said.

Beachgoers were also urged not to push stranded dolphins back into the water, saying it can reduce their chances of survival.

More information about domoic-acid poisoning can be found at https://marinemammalcare.org/domoic-acid/.

The volume of sick marine mammals has also had a financial impact on the MMCC.

“Our team is working heroically to respond to every call and to rescue every animal they can. Please share this post and give now at marinemammalcare.org/donate to give these marine mammals a second chance at life!” the MMCC stated.

Anyone who encounters a sick or stranded marine mammal can alert the nearest lifeguard and call 1-800-39-WHALE to make a report.