Mother accused of drowning newborn whose body was found in motel dumpster days later

FORT WORTH, Texas (Gray News) - A Texas woman is facing charges after investigators say she drowned her newborn daughter in a motel bathtub days before the baby’s body was found in a dumpster.

Avia Lynette Cantrell, 23, is facing a capital murder charge after Fort Worth Police say she drowned her newborn daughter in a motel bathtub. The baby’s body was found in a dumpster outside the motel days later.

Cantrell’s boyfriend, 26-year-old Camron Kyjuan Baker, was also arrested in relation to the case. He is facing a charge of abuse of a corpse.

Police responded about 8:40 p.m. Sunday to a Fort Worth motel after a baby was found in a dumpster outside. The baby was taken to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead, KTVT reports.

Surveillance footage from Sunday afternoon showed a woman putting a box of items, including a car seat, into the dumpster. The motel manager identified the woman as Cantrell, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by The Dallas Morning News.

Investigators questioned Cantrell, who admitted to giving birth last Wednesday morning in her motel bathtub, the affidavit says. She allegedly told detectives she left the baby girl face down in the water for about 30 minutes until she believed the newborn was dead.

Cantrell called Baker at work and told him the baby had died, according to Baker’s arrest warrant. The couple allegedly kept the newborn’s body in a bag near the toilet for four days before police say Baker put the body in the motel dumpster.

“Heartbreaking doesn’t even begin to describe this case,” Fort Worth Police Chief Eddie Garcia told WFAA. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the loss of this child.”

Baker told detectives the couple did not seek medical help because they feared facing criminal charges, according to the affidavit. He allegedly disposed of the baby’s body after Cantrell asked him to, saying she couldn’t do it herself.

Cantrell is being held on $2 million bond, and Baker is being held on $250,000 bond, online records show. The investigation is ongoing.

Following the incident, Fort Worth Police are reminding everyone of Texas’ Baby Moses Law. The law allows a parent to safely and legally surrender an unharmed newborn at a designated location without fear of being prosecuted for abandonment.

“Every baby deserves a safe beginning,” police wrote in a Facebook post. “If you or someone you know is facing a situation where caring for a newborn feels impossible, help is available. You are not alone, and there are safe options that can protect both you and your baby.”