A Texas woman, Diana Guadalupe Zavala Lopez, has been sentenced to four years in prison after abandoning her deceased newborn in a gas station restroom. The 27-year-old from Houston pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence involving a human corpse following the tragic events that occurred on April 2, 2023, at a gas station located at 13114 South Post Oak, Texas.
Surveillance footage showed Zavala Lopez entering the restroom where she unexpectedly gave birth. Later, a customer discovered the baby’s body. Zavala Lopez told investigators that she was unaware of her pregnancy and had stopped at the gas station to use the restroom after experiencing pain while leaving a party.
Investigators believe she attempted to flush the newborn down the toilet before abandoning the scene. Court records revealed that Zavala Lopez cleaned herself of blood and used a mop to clean the restroom but did not check on the infant, attempt CPR, or remove the baby from the toilet. Afterward, she left the gas station and drove home.
Zavala Lopez was arrested in August 2023, and on December 20, 2024, Harris County District Judge Kristin M. Guiney sentenced her to four years in prison. The case has garnered significant public attention, with many expressing heartbreak over the tragic circumstances and Zavala Lopez’s lack of intervention to save the child. Her sentencing highlights the seriousness of the crime and the devastating effects of neglect.
