Utah teen accused of killing premature baby

A Utah teenager allegedly researched “taking a baby’s life” and “garbage dumps” on the internet before killing her sickly newborn son and then disposing his body off a highway.

Estrella Meza-Ojeda, 18, gave birth to her son prematurely on Aug. 6, FOX13 reported. She was arrested Saturday on charges of aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, abuse or desecration of a body and producing false identification related to the baby’s death. 

A search warrant for the teen’s phone executed on Wednesday revealed a series of incriminating internet searches.

Some of the searches include: “how much time will I serve in prison for killing my baby,” “taking a baby’s life,” “holy death,” and “garbage dumps near me,” according to FOX13.

The teenage mother allegedly told Heber City Police investigators that her son died accidentally and that she later left his body by the side of Interstate 80 in Parleys Canyon, the outlet said, citing the arrest affidavit.

Officials believe that Meza-Ojeda purposely tried to “erase any and all traces” of the newborn when she became overwhelmed with caring for a sick child, Deseret News said. She is currently being held without bail at Wasatch County Jail.

Meza-Ojeda’s baby son spent 22 days in the NICU before being discharged early this month, Deseret News added, citing the arrest affidavit.

The boy was discharged with supplemental oxygen and a monitor, which staff reportedly told Meza-Ojeda was essential for his survival.

On Sept. 1, just a few days after being released from the hospital, Meza-Ojeda’s son – who was identified in the documents with the initials “D.O.” – was readmitted via ambulance after he stopped breathing, the outlet continued.

The infant arrived without supplemental oxygen, and Meza-Ojeda was sent home with an additional reminder that the oxygen was necessary for his survival, FOX13 added.

“It is now believed that this time that this was an attempt to end [the baby]’s life and that Estrella was either interrupted or could not go through with it at this time,” the outlet said, citing the arrest report.

Ten days later, police were called to perform a welfare check on the baby when Meza-Ojeda failed to bring him in for a follow-up appointment, the outlet continued.

Both the mother and child were not at home, and messages left on Meza-Ojeda’s phone went unanswered.

On Sept. 14, Meza-Ojeda’s roommate told police that she had not seen the young mom or the baby since leaving for work on Sept. 11. When she came back, Meza-Ojeda and her son were gone, as were the baby’s clothes.

The oxygen tanks and the baby’s car seat, however, were still in the apartment, FOX13 said.

The roommate also claimed that she noticed the baby was not on oxygen on Sept. 10, and that Meza-Ojeda dismissed her when she asked about it.

An “extensive search” for both mother and child subsequently located Meza-Orjeda, who told an agent with the Utah Division of Child and Family Services that her son was in Mexico, the outlet reported.

Then, on Sept. 19, police tracked Meza-Orjeda down at her new boyfriend’s residence in Kamas, FOX13 continued.

She initially declined to answer questions about the baby, and even asked officers not to bring up the missing child around her boyfriend because he did not know about the birth, the outlet said.

Eventually, the arrest report explained, Meza-Ojeda told investigators that she sent the baby to Mexico with a family friend because she was overwhelmed.

“Estrella stated that it had been difficult trying to raise a baby that needed special care and that she had wanted to go back to work. Estrella stated that she had made a rash decision without thinking,” the document recalled, per Deseret News. 

Meza-Orjeda declined to give police a phone number for the man she says was caring for her son, and phone calls to her mother, who also lives in Mexico, did not go through, FOX13 said.

Throughout her interviews with police, Meza-Orjeda continued to change her story about where and when she gave her son to the unnamed family friend, the outlet noted.

“I asked repeatedly for information for anyone who could corroborate her story and she stated that only her mother and her sister (could), although their phone numbers were not working. She told me that D.O. is doing great and is being treated by a pediatrician in Mexico City,” the affidavit said.

The searches began on Sept. 3 – two days after the baby’s readmission to the hospital, police pointed out.

When police questioned her again, Meza-Ojeda started to agree that “[the baby] was no longer alive,” the outlet said. Eventually, she told officers that she used her roommates car to meet a man at Smith’s grocery store in Park City, about 15 minutes from her apartment, the affidavit reportedly outlined.

Meza-Orjeda admitted that she took the baby with her, and did not bring his oxygen because she thought it was bothering him. The person she planned to meet did not turn up, and when she returned home she realized the baby was dead.

Meza-Orjeda claimed that she then drove toward Salt Lake City and left the infant’s body covered in a gray blanket with elephants on it on the side of I-80, the distressing report read. 

The teen took officers to the area where she believes she left the body, Deseret News said.

“When Estrella saw this fabric [police found on the ground], she began to sob and try to go to the area. After a brief search of the area, it was determined that due to lack of lighting and the possibility of animal activity in the area disturbing or removing D.O.’s body, it was determined to establish a search plan with cadaver dogs and more officers,” the outlet quoted the affidavit.

“Estrella was overwhelmed with caring for a premature baby that needed extra care to survive and wished to go back to a single, nonmother lifestyle and begin a new life with (her new boyfriend),” the scathing report added.

As of Tuesday afternoon, it is unclear if the infant’s remains have been discovered.

The Heber City Police Department did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for a comment on the case.