Police in Fort Worth have charged a 23-year-old woman with capital murder after investigators linked her to the death of a newborn girl found near a motel dumpster.
Woman identified as Avia Cantrell is facing a capital murder charge and her boyfriend, Camron Baker, 26, was also arrested and charged with abuse of a corpse following the discovery on Sunday, October 18.
According to arrest documents obtained by CBS News Texas, investigators allege that Cantrell gave birth inside her motel room four days earlier and deliberately left her newborn in a bathtub filled with water.
The Fort Worth Police Department continues to investigate the child’s death. Here are five things to know about Cantrell and the case.
1. Avia Cantrell Was Living at a Fort Worth Motel With Three Children
Fox4 News reported that Cantrell had been staying at the Drummers Inn on Camp Bowie West Boulevard with Baker and her three other children. Investigators said the family had lived at the property for approximately two years.
The children were present when officers contacted Cantrell on Monday, October 19, and have since been placed with a relative, CBS News Texas reported.
2. A Woman Searching a Dumpster Discovered the Newborn
Police responded to the motel on Sunday, October 18, after a woman searching through discarded items found a bag containing an infant.
According to the arrest affidavit obtained by CBS News, the woman opened the bag at a nearby business before alerting another person. They contacted motel staff and called 911.
Emergency responders transported the baby girl to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Authorities believed the child had been deceased for several days.
3. Cantrell’s Sister-in-Law Contacted Police About Her Pregnancy
The following day, Cantrell’s sister-in-law requested a welfare check, telling authorities that Cantrell had been pregnant and was approaching her due date.
Investigators subsequently reviewed surveillance footage from the motel. Police said the footage showed a woman carrying items, including an infant car seat, toward the dumpster.
Investigators alleged the motel manager identified the woman as Cantrell. Police then questioned Cantrell about her pregnancy and the missing baby.
4. Police Allege Cantrell Admitted What Happened After Giving Birth
According to the affidavit, Cantrell initially denied being pregnant before telling detectives she had delivered a full-term baby girl in the motel bathtub on Wednesday, October 14.
Investigators allege that Cantrell acknowledged leaving the newborn in the water for approximately 30 minutes.
Police said Cantrell later placed the baby inside a bag and contacted Baker to tell him what had happened.
According to investigators, the baby’s body remained inside the motel room for four days.
Baker subsequently acknowledged placing the bag containing the infant in the dumpster on October 18, police alleged.
5. Cantrell Faces Capital Murder Charges, While Baker Faces a Separate Charge
Cantrell has been charged with capital murder of a person under 10 years old. Baker faces a charge of abuse of a corpse.
According to CBS News Texas, Baker told investigators that he and Cantrell had not contacted authorities because they did not want to “catch a case.”
Police said both individuals were taken into custody. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office is investigating the baby’s death, and authorities have not released a final autopsy determination.
The investigation remains ongoing. The allegations against Cantrell and Baker have not been proven in court.
Avia Cantrell: Mother Charged in Fort Worth Newborn Death