FOX Denver 31 News –
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (KDVR) — The 26-year-old Rifle, Colorado mother charged for the methamphetamine overdose death of her 5-year-old daughter made her first court appearance Wednesday afternoon.
Stephanie Alvarado appeared in front of Judge Susan Ryan in a Garfield County courtroom for her arraignment.
She is now charged with two counts of first-degree murder: extreme indifference and victim under the age of 12 in a position of trust. She is also charged with child abuse causing death, possession of a controlled substance and tampering with physical evidence.
Rifle police say Alvarado along with her two cousins, 27-year-old Daniel Alvarado and 26-year-old Bertha Karina Ceballos-Roma, all confessed to smoking meth on the night Sophia Larson died.
Daniel Alvarado and Ceballos-Roma both face charges of child abuse resulting in death, possession of controlled substance and reckless endangerment. Ceballos-Romo faces an additional count of tampering with evidence after police said she tried to clean up evidence from the apartment where Sophia overdosed.
The FOX31 Problem Solvers first reported on the arrests Jan. 30 after the three adults were formally charged following a seven-week investigation that began when Larson died on Dec. 11.
Investigators say Sophia drank from a water bottle, unaware it was contaminated with meth.
Tags: Children Exposed Overdose
