Las Cruces Woman Charged After Newborn Found Dead in Portable Toilet at Burn Lake

Las Cruces Woman Charged After Newborn Found Dead in Portable Toilet at Burn Lake

A 38-year-old Las Cruces woman has been arrested and charged after authorities say her newborn baby girl was found dead inside a portable toilet at Burn Lake.

According to the Las Cruces Police Department, Sonia Cristal Jimenez is charged with one count of intentional child abuse resulting in death, a first-degree felony.

Police say the investigation began around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 7, 2026, when staff at Memorial Medical Center contacted authorities after Jimenez arrived at the hospital appearing to have recently given birth but without an infant. Medical staff raised concerns due to her condition.

Investigators learned from Jimenez’s boyfriend, who drove her to the hospital, that the couple had been at Burn Lake earlier that evening, where Jimenez reportedly used a portable toilet. Officers responded to the area, located off Burn Lake Road, and discovered the newborn baby girl inside the holding tank of a portable restroom. Las Cruces firefighters recovered the infant, who was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Police allege that Jimenez gave birth to a live baby, cut the umbilical cord, and placed the infant into the holding tank, where she drowned.

An autopsy conducted Monday at the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator in Albuquerque determined the baby was alive when she was placed inside the portable toilet. The examination revealed the infant had breathed and swallowed the blue chemical liquid commonly used in portable restroom sanitation. The substance was found in the baby’s trachea, lungs, and stomach, confirming the baby inhaled and ingested the liquid while alive. The official cause of death was ruled drowning.

Investigators stated that Jimenez’s boyfriend told police he was unaware she had given birth, and authorities do not anticipate filing charges against him.

Jimenez was taken into custody Wednesday morning following the issuance of an arrest warrant. She is currently being held without bond at the Doña Ana County Detention Center. The investigation remains ongoing.