Horrifying footage has captured the moment a teenage mother hurled her newborn baby into a dumpster – before the infant was found alive hours later.

Surveillance video shows a woman arriving in a car before opening the back door and tossing a black trash bag into a dumpster in Hobbs, New Mexico, at around 2pm on January 7.

Six hours later, footage showed three people looking through the dumpster before one of them found the infant inside. Incredibly, the newborn was alive and is now in a stable condition while being cared for in hospital.

Jo Imbriale, owner of Rig Outfitters and Home Store, where the security camera footage was captured, said he was asked by police to review video on Friday night.

He told KOB: ‘Something wasn’t right, I saw the officers’ faces, and they did not look right.

‘I said “What is it we are looking for?” and she goes “We’re looking for somebody who dumped a black garbage bag in your dumpster.” I turned around, I said “please don’t tell me it was a baby”.’

The footage shows a woman – who cops believe is Avila – driving into the parking lot in a white sedan and put a black garbage bag – containing her newborn – in it before driving off and abandoning the child.

More footage shows the moment the child was rescued after people apparently heard the newborn’s cries.

A woman pulled out a trash bag and reacted to what was inside. She immediately began tending to the baby.

The child was wrapped up before being handed over to police and paramedics when they arrived a short time later.

Imbriale added: ‘I was in shock just to see this.

‘I can’t sleep at night just knowing that this baby was just tossed in a dumpster like that. I’m sorry but who does that? That is evil. I don’t have words for it.’

Avila is due to appear in court today.