Mother of baby girl found dead over a decade ago with umbilical cord stil attached, drowned her daughter right after giving birth at home before discarding her body in a dumpsterr; arrested
California – In a disturbing case in California that remained unsolved for over a decade, police have arrested and charged a 46-year-old Colorado woman, identified as A. Onduto, for the murder of her newborn daughter, whose lifeless body was discovered in a dumpster in a California city back in 2009.
On May 18, 2009, a man searching for recyclables behind an apartment complex made a tragic discovery—the body of a newborn baby girl discarded in a dumpster. The infant still had her umbilical cord attached and was found wrapped in bloodied clothing. The autopsy results confirmed the baby’s cause of death as drowning, and the case was officially ruled a homicide. “This case touched so many people in our department,” Detective S. Mendez said at the time. “There is a fire station a few blocks away where the baby could have been safely surrendered. Our station is half a mile away. It’s tragic all the way around.”
Despite extensive efforts to identify the child’s mother, the case has lingered for 16 years. The girl’s remains were buried at the local cemetery, where police officers installed a permanent grave marker in 2017. Each year, officers return on the girl’s birthday to honor her short life. Thanks to advances in DNA technology, the long-unsolved mystery began to unravel. In early 2024, detectives from the police department reexamined evidence collected at the scene and successfully connected DNA found on the girl’s body to Onduto, who lives in Colorado.
At the time of the original investigation, Onduto had been labeled a person of interest but was never arrested. However, the new forensic evidence led to her detainment in May 2024, around what would have been the girl’s 16th birthday. Onduto was initially held and later released while officials awaited further analysis and a complete coroner’s report. After a full review of the medical examiner’s findings and forensic confirmation, the district attorney’s office officially filed murder charges under California Penal Code 187 on July 2. That same day, police in Colorado arrested Onduto, and she now awaits extradition to California.
In a probable cause affidavit, Detective D. Ayala stated that Onduto confessed to the killing. According to the statement, Onduto admitted she gave birth to her daughter at home in 2009 and immediately drowned the newborn, knowing throughout her pregnancy she had no intention of keeping the baby. According to reports, Onduto expressed no remorse during her confession. Furthermore, Onduto told police she had not been diagnosed with any mental illness and had not been using drugs at the time of the killing.
Onduto is currently in custody in Colorado and will soon be extradited to California, where she will face charges related to the intentional murder of her daughter. As of now, there has been no sentencing, and the criminal proceedings are pending. Police have emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and continue to ask the public for any additional information. Those with knowledge about the case are urged to contact Detective Ayala at 510-675-5259 or leave an anonymous tip at 510-675-5207.
Despite the years that passed, the girl was never forgotten by those who found her and fought to give her a name. The resolution in this tragic case may finally bring a measure of justice for the baby girl once left alone in a dumpster, a life taken before it ever truly began.
