Grand jury indicts Sonia Jimenez in newborn death case
A Doña Ana County grand jury has indicted Sonia Jimenez on a charge of intentional child abuse resulting in death. An arraignment is scheduled for March 2 in district court.
Court records detail Feb. 7 incident at Burn Lake; arraignment set for March 2
Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News
LAS CRUCES - A Doña Ana County grand jury has indicted Sonia Jimenez on a charge of intentional child abuse resulting in death in connection with the death of a newborn found Feb. 7 at Burn Lake.
The indictment was filed Tuesday, Feb. 24, in 3rd Judicial District Court. Jimenez remains in custody at the Doña Ana County Detention Center. An arraignment is scheduled for March 2 in district court, where she is expected to enter a plea.
Indictment returned Tuesday
According to the indictment, Jimenez is charged with a first-degree felony resulting in the death of a child under age 12.
The filing alleges a newborn was placed in a portable toilet containing liquid waste and chemical fluid and was not provided life-saving care, resulting in the child’s death.
A grand jury indictment indicates jurors found sufficient probable cause to formally charge the defendant. It is not a finding of guilt.
Timeline outlined in probable cause statement
A statement of probable cause filed in the case provides additional detail about the investigation.
According to that filing, police responded Feb. 7 after receiving information that a newborn might be located in a portable toilet at Burn Lake. The document states Jimenez’s boyfriend told investigators the infant could be found at that location.
Investigators allege the infant was born alive. The Office of the Medical Investigator later determined the cause of death to be drowning, according to the statement.
The probable cause filing summarizes statements attributed to Jimenez and her boyfriend, both of whom told investigators they did not know Jimenez was pregnant.
The document also states Jimenez went to a hospital emergency room after leaving Burn Lake. Medical personnel later contacted law enforcement after determining she had recently given birth, according to the filing. Authorities then connected the hospital visit to the discovery at Burn Lake.
The allegations contained in the probable cause statement have not been proven in court.
Next court appearance
Jimenez is scheduled to appear March 2 in 3rd Judicial District Court for arraignment. During that hearing, she is expected to be formally advised of the charge and enter a plea.
As with all criminal cases, the charge against Jimenez is an allegation, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. He can be reached at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or on X at @damienwillis.
State courts report sharp increase in requests for interpreting services — Courts are seeing a growing demand for interpreters as more jurors and court users require language access.
Federal jury rules for Las Cruces officers in civil rights lawsuit over 2021 shooting — Jurors sided with Las Cruces police officers in a civil rights case tied to a 2021 shooting.
Ninth Circuit ruling could restore $4.48M in school mental health funding to New Mexico — Appeals court ruling could return millions in student mental health funding statewide.
