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An arrest has finally been made in the nearly four-decade-long search for answers in the mysterious case of a baby found dead in a California dumpster.
Melissa Jean Allen Avila, 55, was identified as the baby’s mother and arrested in Shelby, North Carolina on August 5.
On October 13, 1987, a newborn baby girl was found discarded and dead inside the trash by a man rummaging for recyclables behind a business in the 5400 block of La Sierra Avenue.
The girl’s death was ruled a homicide and the case went cold until 2020 when the Riverside Police Department’s Homicide Cold Case Unit formed and reopened the investigation.
‘Thanks to the persistent efforts of our investigators and partners, this victim now has an identity, bringing resolution to the case,’ said Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez.
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