Small New Mexico community shocked after newborn baby is found dead inside trash bag at trailer home

Authorities have opened an investigation into the death of a newborn baby found in a trash bag at a trailer home in rural New Mexico, state police said.

In a statement, state police said Thursday that the baby’s body was found during a welfare check of a residence where the baby’s mother was staying in Alcalde, a town about 25 miles north of Santa Fe where Census figures show about 200 people live.

Officers said when they entered the trailer it smelled of “death.”

A man reported that he had been on a trip and returned to his home in La Madera, another small community southeast of Santa Fe, to find that his unborn child’s mother was no longer showing signs of being pregnant, authorities said.

He told officers that she wouldn’t say where the child was located.

Police did not say how they determined the mother was staying in Alcalde, where the baby’s body was found.

“It’s kinda hard to believe,” said Jerry Sanchez, who lives in the area.

“It’s such a small area- we’ve never had this type of tragedy here before,” added resident Frances Medina.

The parents’ identities have not been released, and police have not said whether the baby was a boy or a girl.

Police said that they so far had limited information in their investigation into the infant’s death. An autopsy for the baby is pending.