Houston police have arrested a suspect in connection with the tragic discovery of a deceased infant found in a restroom at a Shell gas station on South Post Oak Road on April 2. The woman, identified as 25-year-old Diana Guadalupe Zavala Lopez, was apprehended on Tuesday (Aug. 1) in Brownsville, TX while attempting to escape to Mexico.
The investigation began when a customer, around 4:25 a.m. on that fateful morning, found the lifeless infant in the gas station bathroom and immediately called 911. Upon arrival, Houston Fire Department paramedics attempted to provide medical assistance, but it was determined that the baby had been dead for hours before being discovered.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the gas station, which showed a woman entering the restroom and leaving about 15 minutes later. The woman was later identified as the suspect and mother of the deceased infant. The video evidence led to the public's help being requested in identifying the individual.
The suspect, Diana Guadalupe Zavala Lopez, was ultimately captured by Border Patrol in Brownsville, TX, and she now faces charges of felony tampering with evidence - human corpse. Houston Police confirmed that she will be extradited to Harris County to face trial.
The identity of the baby and the cause of her death are pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
The investigation remains ongoing.
