Police officers in Wheat Ridge, Colorado found an 11-week-old baby covered in drug residue on the front passenger seat floorboard of a car that had been stopped for suspicion of theft.
Police also found a “significant” amount of drugs in the car – including fentanyl – but it was unclear what type of drugs were covering the infant.
A Facebook post from the Wheat Ridge Police Department says, “as our officer walked around the vehicle, he was overcome by the odor of drugs. He spotted a carseat, but no child in it. Instead, he discovered the eleven-week-old child was on the front passenger seat floorboard, covered in blankets and also drug residue.”
The post goes on to say that, “A significant amount of drugs (fentanyl pils) and paraphernalia were recovered from the vehicle. Two other adult passengers were cited, while the suspect was transported to the Jefferson County Jail on theft, felony drug possession, and child abuse charges.”
Read the full Facebook post below or click here:
We owe a debt of gratitude to the King Soopers employee who flagged us down (while one of our officers was on routine patrol near the business) to report what appeared to be a simple theft incident that ended with an infant being removed from a vehicle filled with drugs.
It happened yesterday evening. The employee pointed our officer in the direction of the theft suspect’s vehicle, and our officer made contact. The suspect was cooperative, opening her trunk to retrieve the stolen items.
But as our officer walked around the vehicle, he was overcome by the odor of drugs. He spotted a carseat, but no child in it. Instead, he discovered the eleven-week-old child was on the front passenger seat floorboard, covered in blankets and also drug residue.
The baby was immediately transported to the hospital to be examined and Child Protective Services placed her in the custody of a safe relative.
A significant amount of drugs (fentanyl pils) and paraphernalia were recovered from the vehicle. Two other adult passengers were cited, while the suspect was transported to the Jefferson County Jail on theft, felony drug possession, and child abuse charges.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to the employee who stopped us. We’ve said it before but we can’t say it enough– oftentimes a seemingly less serious offense reveals a more serious crime. And in this case, the employee’s willingness to contact one of our officers may have saved a child’s life.