Baby's body found in dumpster in Northwest Albuquerque

Police say a group of people living on the streets found a dead baby in a dumpster on Tuesday in Northwest Albuquerque.

Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman, said it is unclear who left the baby in the dumpster .

Gallegos did not say how the baby died. Based on the circumstances, he said, the baby’s mother may need medical attention.

At about 3:45 a.m., APD officers responded to a 911 call in the 900 block of Rio Grande NW, near Interstate 40.

When they arrived, a security guard told them unhoused people found the baby’s body in the dumpster partially wrapped in a blanket, Gallegos said. Detectives were searching the area and nearby businesses to see if any surveillance cameras captured the incident.

“At this point, we are putting out a call for help or for information,” he said. Anyone with information can call 242-COPS or contact Crime Stoppers at 505-843-STOP (7867) or p3tips.com/531.

If people do not want to keep their babies, Gallegos said, people can surrender them to hospitals, fire and police stations or Safe Haven Baby Boxes, within 90 days of birth, under the New Mexico Safe Haven for Infants Act. There are currently 10 baby boxes across the state, including in Hobbs, Carlsbad and Belen.

Albuquerque does not have a baby box, but Albuquerque Fire Rescue spokesperson Lt. Jason Fejer said it has participated in the Safe Haven program for over a decade, “meaning all 22 AFR fire stations are Safe Havens” where babies can be dropped off.

However, he said the city will have its first baby box installed by late 2025 at Fire Station 12, near Juan Tabo and Central, which will feature a secure, climate-controlled incubator designed for the anonymous surrender of newborns in crisis.

“Installing a Safe Haven Baby Box at our new Fire Station 12 ensures that no newborn is left in an unsafe situation, offering a safe, anonymous option for parents in crisis,” Fire Chief Emily Jaramillo said in a statement. “As a mother, I understand that using this box likely comes during an overwhelming and heartbreaking moment. This initiative also highlights the vital importance of supporting postpartum maternal mental health.”

Sen. David Gallegos, R-Eunice, co-sponsored a bill during this year’s legislative session that would have provided explicit protections for parents who choose to remain anonymous when relinquishing an infant. The bill stalled in committee.

In a statement about Tuesday’s incident, David Gallegos said, “Yet again, it is a sad day when someone in our state’s largest city did not feel safe enough to drop off their child at a hospital or fire station where the infant could have received life-affirming care.

“I wish this mother would have had the option to anonymously place her child in a Safe Haven Baby Box. Rather, our state is now forced to endure another heart-wrenching and unnecessary loss of human life. Safe Haven Baby Boxes work, which is why we must expand their accessibility throughout New Mexico and prevent additional tragedies such as this one in the future.”