A deceased newborn girl was found in a dumpster outside a Fort Worth motel… The mother and father were both complicit in their baby’s death.
It is especially heartbreaking knowing that Texas has a Baby Moses Law, which allows parents to safely surrender a baby under 60 days old to a staff member at a designated location, such as an open hospital, fire station, or EMS station, without fear of punishment for abandonment. There is never an excuse for a child to be killed instead of given a shot at Life.
A 23-year-old woman and her 26-year-old boyfriend have been charged in connection with the death of their newborn baby, who was found in a dumpster outside a Fort Worth motel. A woman dumpster diving discovered the baby inside a bag and alerted authorities. The infant was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead. The mother faces a capital murder charge, while her boyfriend has been charged with abuse of a corpse.
This was not the first time this has happened. At the same time the police received this call, they were also responding to a call from Cantrell’s sister-in-law for a welfare check because Cantrell was pregnant and due soon. Her sister-in-law said that Cantrell had a mysterious history with her pregnancies.
An officer then made contact with Cantrell, who was living at the motel, and said that she “seemed nervous when speaking with him.” The officer also said that Cantrell denied being pregnant. However, she soon admitted the horrifying truth.
Avia Cantrell told police that she gave birth to a little girl at 7:00 a.m. on October 14. As soon as she delivered, she admitted to leaving the baby “face down in the water approximately 30 minutes before moving the child,” the affidavit said.
She confessed that her daughter’s feet had turned white and so she had assumed her baby was dead. She then wrapped the child inside a bag, which matched the bag the baby was later discovered in, and left the baby next to the toilet for four days. She immediately called her boyfriend, Camron Baker, to tell him what happened.
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According to the affidavit, Baker allegedly discarded the remains of a previous baby following a miscarriage. This time, he is accused of throwing his full-term newborn child into a dumpster. Baker reportedly admitted to his actions and told police he did not call 911 because they “didn’t want to catch a case.” He also claimed Cantrell told him to put the baby’s body in the dumpster because “she couldn’t do it.”
This is heartbreaking. Texas has resources available to help parents who feel unable to care for their newborn. There is no excuse for a child to be abandoned and left to die like this.
Texas has a Baby Moses Law, which allows a parent to safely surrender a newborn, up to 60 days old, at a designated location such as an open hospital, fire station, or emergency medical services (EMS) station. They will not be in any legal trouble and will be free to go, knowing their child will be safe and loved.
Pregnancy resource centers are also available to help mothers and fathers navigate an unexpected pregnancy. Whether they need help preparing to parent or want to explore adoption, there are pregnancy centers, maternity homes, nonprofit organizations, and adoption agencies ready to offer support and treat them with dignity and compassion.
It is difficult to imagine the fear and emotional turmoil this mother may have been experiencing. If she and her boyfriend had been living in a motel for two years, the thought of bringing another baby into an already difficult situation may have felt overwhelming.
But a difficult situation does not have to end in tragedy. Murder is never the answer. There were people and resources ready to help this mother and her baby. No child should lose their life because their parents feel they have nowhere else to turn.
Please join us in prayer that Cantrell and Baker have a radical encounter with God and repent for the murder of their precious baby girl. Please pray for mothers and fathers all over Texas to choose Life for their children, even when the situation can seem hopeless, scary, and uncertain.
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