US Woman Sentenced To 4 Years For Leaving Deceased Newborn In Texas Gas Station Restroom – News18

Last Updated:December 21, 2024, 4:05 PM IST

CCTV footage from the petrol station showed Zavala Lopez entering the restroom that morning. .

A 27-year-old woman in the United States has been sentenced to four years in prison after leaving her deceased newborn in the restroom of a Houston petrol station. According to a report by KTUL, the woman, Diana Guadalupe Zavala Lopez, pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence involving a human corpse. The incident occurred on April 2, 2023, at a petrol station in Houston, Texas.

CCTV footage from the petrol station showed Zavala Lopez entering the restroom that morning. As per the report, she gave birth inside and abandoned the newborn in the toilet before leaving. Hours later, a customer discovered the lifeless infant and immediately contacted the authorities. Paramedics who arrived at the scene confirmed that the baby had been dead for several hours by the time it was found.

“Further investigation and evidence from the scene indicated an unknown Hispanic female entered the gas station bathroom and left about 15 minutes later. Hours later, a customer went to use the restroom, found an infant in the bathroom and called 9-1-1,” police said.

Investigators stated that Zavala Lopez claimed she was unaware of her pregnancy. Reportedly, she had been returning from a party when she stopped at the petrol station after experiencing sudden pain. According to the report, Zavala Lopez described feeling the baby being delivered and noticed it face down in the toilet. Investigators alleged that she attempted to flush the infant down the toilet before cleaning herself and the restroom. She reportedly used a mop from outside the petrol station to wipe away the blood.

Court documents cited in the report revealed that she neither checked if the infant was alive nor attempted CPR or removed the baby from the toilet. Zavala Lopez then left the petrol station and drove home.

The Houston Police Department launched an investigation but could not identify the woman for months. In July 2023, authorities released surveillance footage to the public, showing Zavala Lopez exiting a white Cadillac before entering the restroom. With assistance from the public, the police were able to identify her.

In August 2023, Zavala Lopez was arrested at a bus station in Brownsville, Texas, as she attempted to flee the country. She was detained by US Customs and Border Protection agents, extradited to Harris County, and charged.

The court sentenced Zavala Lopez to four years in prison. She had already served 489 days in custody.