Methamphetamines can be very hazardous and potentially fatal to young children. The powerful drug can overwhelm a young person’s nervous system and interfere with crucial bodily functions such as breathing and blood circulation. Allowing a child access to methamphetamine or meth apparatus can result in very serious criminal charges, as demonstrated by the tragic death of a child earlier this year and the arrest and upgrading of criminal charges against a woman who lives in Glenwood Springs.
The defendant in the case was originally arrested in January and charged with suspicion of child abuse resulting in death, possession of a controlled substance and reckless endangerment, all in connection with the death of the woman’s 5-year-old daughter. The young girl was allowed to drink from a bottle that had been used as a water pipe for inhaling methamphetamine. After the girl drank from the bottle, she stopped breathing and was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. According to the girl’s father, medical staff told him that the girl died from cardiac arrest. The mother said that she had been afraid to bring her daughter to a hospital for treatment because she feared that she would lose custody of the child. The county coroner said that the girl had a very high level of methamphetamine in her blood stream and that the official cause of death was methamphetamine intoxication.
The original charges were recently upgraded by the prosecutors to include murder, burglary and criminal trespass. The prosecutors did not immediately provide the reasons for the upgraded charges. The only bright spot for the defendant so far in the case is the district attorney’s statement that prosecutors would not seek the death penalty in the event the woman is convicted.
The defendant in this case faces very serious penalties if she is convicted of any of the crimes for which she has been charged. Anyone facing similar charges may benefit from consulting an experienced criminal defense attorney. A knowledgeable lawyer can provide a useful evaluation of the evidence and an estimate of the likelihood of reaching a satisfactory plea agreement.