Los Angeles, Ca
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.”
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.
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
Deputies reveal what led to violent L.A. County bus crash that injured 13 people
Authorities revealed new details Wednesday afternoon about the violent Santa Clarita crash involving a city transit bus, an overturned semi truck and two other vehicles that left 13 people injured.
According to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, the driver of a semi truck hauling a full load of gravel may have been traveling as fast as 70 mph when the vehicle approached a yellow light at the intersection of Golden Valley Road and Centre Pointe Parkway around 9:30 a.m.
Investigators said the driver then attempted to make a right turn to avoid running the red light before crashing into the bus and two passenger vehicles.
“[The driver] tried to make a right-hand turn to avoid running the red light and then crashed into the bus and the other two passenger vehicles,” Capt. Brandon Barclay of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station told KTLA.
Officials noted that the speed limit on Golden Valley Road is 50 mph.
Sky5 aerial footage showed the heavily damaged Santa Clarita Transit bus pushed onto a curb while the semi truck overturned nearby, and another vehicle appeared pinned beneath the front right side of the bus.
“When you look at it, it looks like a scene from Universal CityWalk,” Barclay said.
Authorities said 13 people were injured in the crash.
One passenger seated in the back of the bus had to be freed using the Jaws of Life and remained hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, KTLA’s Angeli Kakade reported.
Seven additional people were transported to hospitals while five others declined medical treatment at the scene.
“You have a bus that was hit by a semi truck, so it’s very impactful for this community,” Barclay added.
Former Santa Clarita transit bus driver Darryl Richardson said he was stunned when he saw the aftermath of the crash.
“I know how a person feels to see a big old truck coming right at you,” Richardson told KTLA. “Thank God if it had broadsided the driver, we’d be talking about a different conversation right now.”
The City of Santa Clarita said road closures around the crash scene were expected to continue for several hours as deputies investigated what led up to the collision.
All directions of Centre Pointe Parkway between Golden Valley Road and Ruether Avenue remained closed Wednesday afternoon. Eastbound Golden Valley Road was also shut down from Robert C. Lee Parkway to Centre Pointe Parkway.
Drivers were urged to avoid the area and use alternate routes.
The crash remains under investigation.
Los Angeles, Ca
Burglary reported in San Fernando Valley hours after officials announce arrests
Just hours after officials announced arrests connected to a string of residential burglaries, another one was reported in the San Fernando Valley.
According to a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson, the incident took place just before 1:45 a.m. Wednesday in the 5000 block of Bluebell Avenue, which is located in the Valley Village neighborhood.
The person who lives in the home was too shaken to appear on camera but told KTLA that three masked suspects broke in while she was inside and took off within minutes.
The LAPD spokesperson was unable to confirm that detail, or any other details, right away. It was unclear whether anything was taken from the home.
The alleged break-in came less than a day after L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and other officials announced arrests in a string of burglaries mainly plaguing the San Fernando Valley. At a press conference Tuesday, Mayor Karen Bass said there has been a 30% reduction year-to-date in property crimes and burglaries.
The LAPD says part of their strategy is to saturate areas, like the Valley, that have been targeted disproportionately, using visible officers and others “behind the scenes.”
“Burglaries in the city are down over 30%, reflecting the effectiveness of our proactive enforcement and prevention strategies,” LAPD Deputy Chief Gerald Woodyard said. “We are aware that the burglary crews are highly organized and sophisticated, and we are constantly adjusting our strategies to counteract their tactics.”
That said, the LAPD is down anywhere from 800 to 1,400 police officers. The mayor said she’s fighting to hire more and is using mental health professionals on calls which don’t require a police officer.
Los Angeles, Ca
Detectives investigating if La Cañada burglary is connected to string of recent break-ins
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a burglary, which happened on the 1200 block of El Vago Drive in La Cañada Flintridge on May 2.
The burglary happened around 7:20 p.m. Detectives are actively investigating if the burglary is connected to a string of other recent burglaries in L.A. County.
A woman who lives in the area contacted KTLA about the burglary after she noticed that security camera footage of the suspects matched the suspects seen in a different burglary in Studio City. During the Studio City burglary, the suspects attacked a Good Samaritan with bear spray.
LASD Capt. Ryan Vienna called the rash of burglaries in the region “unacceptable.” LASD has deployed additional deputies to the La Cañada Flintridge area in response to the burglary.
“I ask all members of the community to promptly report suspicious activity or crimes in progress, as well as cooperate with our investigators so we may apprehend those who would or have caused harm,” Vienna said.
No other details have been revealed in the case as it remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to contact LASD at (818) 236-4015.
Burglaries are an ongoing problem across Southern California in recent months. On May 5, four men were arrested for stealing more than $100,000 in valuables form a Thousand Oaks home, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
LASD provided following burglary prevention tips:
- Lock all doors and windows, even when home
- Keep exterior lights on during nighttime hours
- Utilize alarm systems and surveillance cameras if available
- Avoid leaving valuables visible from outside the home
- Collect mail and packages promptly
- Report suspicious persons or vehicles in your neighborhood immediately
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