Woman charged with killing her infant nearly 40 years ago

A woman accused of killing her newborn child and dumping her in a trash receptacle behind a Riverside business almost four decades ago will be arraigned next month on a murder charge.

Melissa Jean Allen Avila, 55, of Shelby, North Carolina, was arrested earlier this week following a yearslong investigation by the Riverside Police Department Homicide Cold Case Unit.

Avila made her initial court appearance Wednesday before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Gary Polk, who scheduled her arraignment for Sept. 9 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

Polk granted Avila release on her own recognizance under an agreement to which the defense and prosecution stipulated in lieu of holding her in jail.   

She was previously being held on $1 million bail.   

Avila promised to appear at all future court hearings.   

According to police spokesman Officer Ryan Railsback, cold case detectives reopened the baby death case in 2020.   

The newborn girl, known only as "Jane Doe," was discovered on Oct. 13, 1987, by a man looking for bottles and cans in a dumpster behind a business in the 5400 block of La Sierra Avenue.

Investigators at the time had little to go on, pursuing all available leads without success in the weeks following discovery of the dead child, Railsback said.

DNA samples were taken from the tot's remains and preserved.   

Railsback alleged that the forensic evidence was used to locate and positively identify Avila as the mother of the infant, though he did not elaborate on the details.

"An essential partner in this investigation was Season of Justice, a nonprofit dedicated to providing financial assistance for investigative agencies and families to help solve cold cases through grant funding for advanced DNA analysis solutions and forensic genealogy,'' the police spokesman said. "This funding allowed for DNA analysis to be conducted by Othram, Inc., a private lab that specializes in DNA technology."  

He said investigators "have no reason to believe the baby's father had any criminal culpability in the murder."  

The man wasn't identified. Avila was 19 when the alleged killing occurred.   

A possible motive was not disclosed.   

The defendant was taken into custody without incident by U.S. Marshals in Shelby, N.C., on Monday morning.   

She has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.