HOBBS, N.M. (KRQE) – A Hobbs woman appealing her guilty conviction of child abuse was in court for a motion hearing on Wednesday, September 27. In court, 19-year-old Alexis Avila was denied her request to be released pending the appeal of her charges.
In January 2022, then 18-year-old Avila threw her newborn baby into a Hobbs dumpster. Video footage captured the crime, and luckily, the baby was found alive by three people who were digging through the dumpster. He survived his injuries and is now in the care of other relatives.
Avila’s jury trial began on Monday, April 10, 2023, and she was found guilty of child abuse resulting in great bodily harm, as well as attempted first-degree murder on Friday, April 14. On May 1, the teen was sentenced to 16 years for the crimes.
Avila’s request to appeal her conviction was granted on July 27. In Wednesday’s motion hearing, Avila asked to be released from prison during the appeal process, and Judge Efren Cortez denied the motion for release.
The judge also denied Avila’s motion to change the court venue for her appeal. Judge Cortez emphasized that the jurors were selected specifically for their lack of bias regarding the case and that trial publicity alone does not warrant a change of venue.
