A District woman who pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2013 killing and dismembering of her newborn baby was ordered Friday to be released from the District’s psychiatric hospital.
Alvarado was charged with premeditated, first-degree murder while armed, first-degree cruelty to children and felony murder after authorities said that Alvarado secretly gave birth to her son on Thanksgiving morning five years ago. They said that she used a pair of scissors to cut the baby’s limbs and then tried to flush the infant’s body down the toilet.
Police were called to Alvarado’s apartment building in the 6400 block of 14th Street NW after neighbors in the unit below Alvarado’s noticed bloody water pouring down their walls.
Since Alvarado’s arrest, her public defenders have argued that Alvarado was not mentally competent at the time she gave birth. Alvarado has undergone numerous psychological tests and treatments while at St. Elizabeths.
At a hearing in November, Lee ordered Alvarado committed to St. Elizabeths after accepting her plea, telling her and her attorneys that her commitment was indefinite and contingent on the evaluations of the doctors.
In January, the doctors notified the judge that they believed Alvarado had successfully participated in her treatment during her stay and was “psychiatrically and medically stable” to receive treatment as a hospital outpatient.
Lee ordered Alvarado to be released from the hospital as of Tuesday and is allowing her to live with her parents in their two-bedroom apartment. Federal prosecutors did not object to Lee’s order.
“I am satisfied by all of the steps that have been taken,” Lee said. “Ms. Alvarado, you are doing very well and you should feel good about that.”
Lee also ordered a follow-up hearing in May to ensure that Alvarado continues with her treatment.
