Woman accused of smothering her newborn son to death and burying his body in backyard

An Illinois woman is accused of smothering her newborn son to death and burying his body in the backyard of the family home, authorities say.

Woman accused of smothering her newborn son to death and burying his body in backyard

Alvory Chavez Ramos, 23, allegedly gave birth to the child in the bathtub of her Leyden Township home sometime between Oct. 31 and Nov. 30, 2020, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

When the baby began crying, Chavez Ramos “allegedly placed his hand over the baby’s nose and mouth to prevent family members in the home from discovering the baby,” the release said.

After the baby stopped moving, Chavez Ramos allegedly placed it in a plastic bag and buried it in the backyard of the home.

The baby’s remains were found in May 2021, after the sheriff’s office launched an investigation into the death. The cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation and the manner of death was homicide.

DNA tests apparently confirmed that Chavez Ramos was the child’s mother. According to the release, she told detectives that she tried to hide her pregnancy because she did not want her family to be angry with her, the release said.

She is charged with first-degree murder and is being held on $950,000 bail, the release said. It was not immediately clear whether she pleaded guilty or hired an attorney to comment on her behalf.