One year in jail for Rancho woman who dumped newborn in trash
A 21-year-old woman accused of dumping her newborn baby in a trash bin was formally sentenced Wednesday to one year in jail and five years' probation.
Amber Jimenez, of Rancho Cucamonga, agreed to plead guilty in September to one felony charge of child cruelty. An attempted-murder charge was thrown out as part of her deal with prosecutors.
Prosecutors said Jimenez hid her pregnancy from friends and family, and dumped her newborn daughter in a trash bin in April.
The child was near death when found by a homeless man 8 hours after being abandoned, but survived the ordeal and is now being raised by Jimenez's family.
Jimenez was credited at the hearing for 55 days in custody, meaning the sentence she would otherwise serve will be shortened by that amount of time. She will serve a 5-year prison sentence if she violates her probation.
Click here to view her online case file, or click the link below to read a past news article on Jimenez's case.
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Mother of baby takes a plea
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, CA) - Friday, September 12, 2008
Author: Will Bigham, Staff Writer
RANCHO CUCAMONGA - A 21-year-old woman accused of abandoning her newborn daughter in a trash bin accepted a plea deal Friday for a year in jail and five years on probation.
Amber Jimenez of Rancho Cucamonga pleaded no contest to a felony child-abuse charge in West Valley Superior Court. An attempted-murder charge was dismissed as part of the plea deal.
Prosecutors say Jimenez placed her newborn daughter in a plastic shopping bag and left the infant in a trash bin near her home in April.
The baby was in the bin for about 8 hours before she was found by a homeless man.
The infant was near death when first taken to a hospital by authorities, but is now doing well and is being raised by Jimenez 's mother and grandmother, said Deputy District Attorney Karen Schmauss.
"The baby is alive and well," Schmauss said. "I saw pictures of her."
Schmauss said Jimenez kept her pregnancy secret from her family because she feared her mother would disapprove.
Jimenez was a high achiever who was an honor student at Los Osos High School. Her family placed high expectations on her, and she didn't know how to react to her pregnancy, Schmauss said.
The state's safe-surrender law allows mothers to drop off newborns at police and fire stations within 72 hours of the child's birth without authorities asking questions.
The state Legislature passed a bill last month extending to seven days the period mothers have to drop off their newborn.
Schmauss said Jimenez was aware of the law but decided not to take advantage of it because she erroneously believed authorities would ask her questions about the child that would result in her mother discovering her pregnancy.
Jimenez decided against an abortion for the same reason and told the father of the child she miscarried, Schmauss said.
"This was all about her mom, and about being a good girl," Schmauss said.
As part of her probation, Jimenez will visit high schools and other places when she is released from jail to teach young women about the safe-surrender program and tell her story, Schmauss said.
"The hope is this near-tragedy won't happen to anyone else," Schmauss said.
If Jimenez violates the terms of her probation after she is released from jail, she faces a prison sentence of four to six years, Schmauss said.
Jimenez appeared happy after the court hearing. She smiled as she was led out of the courtroom by a sheriff's deputy.
A woman who identified herself as a family member of Jimenez declined to comment after the court hearing.
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