Font ResizeLAS CRUCES - A cadaver-sniffing dog was called out from the U.S. Border Patrol after a park visitor reported finding what they thought was human afterbirth Saturday evening.
The person discovered the mass in a vessel, possibly a basket, at La Llorona Park, where Picacho Avenue crosses the Rio Grande, at about 4 p.m., Las Cruces Police Officer Wallace Downs said.
"We're not sure what it could be," Downs said.
Nor could officers be certain there wasn't another gruesome discovery awaiting them, resulting in the assistance from Border Patrol.
Sgt. Kiri Daines said the reporting party, a nursing student, told police the tissue looked like a human placenta, but that remained unclear.
"That will have to be examined by the Office of the Medical Investigator," Daines said. "It will be sent up to Santa Fe. We don't even know if it's human afterbirth, or if a birth even occurred at the park. We're still going to search the area, just in case."
Daines said later that no human fetus was found.
Daines urged anyone with information about the incident to call central dispatch at (575) 526-0795 or Las Cruces Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or send a tip via text message to LCTIPS (528477). The Crime Stoppers number and text messaging services are active 24 hours a day. You do not have to give your name to collect a reward.
Ashley Meeks can be reached at (575) 541-5462.
