HOBBS, N.M. (KRQE) – The teenage father of the baby that was found in a Hobbs dumpster is speaking out for the first time. The father is explaining what he did and that he didn’t know about the teen mother and her pregnancy. Alexis Avila, 18, was caught on surveillance video earlier this month driving up to the dumpster and throwing her newborn into the trash, then leaving.
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Police say the infant was in the dumpster for six hours in near-freezing temperatures until a group of people looking through the trash heard the baby crying. Avila claims she didn’t know she was pregnant before giving birth at home. On Thursday night, Stephen Astorga, the baby’s father, says he was told by Avila that she had a miscarriage and he believed she was no longer pregnant. The baby, which is now named Saul, is at home with the Astorgas. They say he is happy and healthy.
The Astorga family says they are cooperating with police, the courts, and the New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department to keep Saul with them. Avila is charged with attempted first-degree murder and child abuse. A judge ordered her on house arrest pending trial. The following is the full statement from Monica Cruz and Josh Birmingham, the attorneys representing the Astorga family:
Stephen Astorga is grateful to all of the people who helped find and care for baby Saul after the heartbreaking events of January 7. The Astorga family are fully cooperating with the police, the courts, and CYFD. Stephen and his family are over the moon that baby Saul is now a part of their family. He is a happy, healthy, and handsome baby.
Stephen did not know that Saul’s mother was still pregnant, as she reported that she suffered a miscarriage. It wasn’t until the news broke of what had happened to baby Saul that he and his family learned the truth. They wish that they had known that Saul’s mother was still pregnant, so that they could have helped avoid this horrific situation. They are asking for prayers and understanding as they navigate this difficult process and work to ensure that Saul remains in the safe, loving arms of his father.
Monica Cruz and Josh Birmingham, attorneys representing the Astorga Family
