Searchers locate pregnant teen’s body in landfill

FONTANA — The discovery of a 17-year-old’s body at a Riverside County dumpsite Wednesday has brought investigators closer to solving her two month-old murder.

Fontana police Sgt. William Green Thursday confirmed the pregnant woman’s body to be that of Anyssia Escamilla, who had allegedly been slain by her boyfriend Jesus Avitia Jr. on May 11, before being dumped in a trash receptacle. Avitia reportedly confessed to the murder, but later pleaded not guilty at a May 25 arraignment session.

Sgt. Green said the young woman’s remains were identified by her family and through a coroner’s examination. The sergeant told a sea of reporters that some 70 days were spent scouring two landfill areas, with as many as 50 volunteers sifting through “30,000 tons of garbage” to locate the remains.

Avitia, 18,  had been charged with not one, but two counts of murder.  He is believed to have killed Escamilla and their unborn child  somewhere near his home.

Green said it was a week later when investigators learned that he had dumped the body in the trash.

“The trash goes to a spot in Etiwanda,” the sergeant said. “And it’s sent to either Rialto or Corona. That made it tougher to find the body because no one had any idea where the body was sent.”

Escamilla was reported missing May 11, when she failed to return home from Bloomington High School.

Police closed landfills in Rialto and Corona to conduct the lengthy search.

A motive for the homicide has yet to be disclosed, though the victim’s family said Avitia’s family did not approve of him dating anyone who had young children.