A Colorado father named Alonzo Montoya has been found guilty in the terrible death of his 22-month-old daughter Aviyana, in a case involving both criminal activity and parental carelessness.
The heartbreaking incident unfolded on January 2, 2022, at their residence in Brighton, where the toddler consumed a lethal amount of fentanyl during a 14-hour period of neglect.
The verdict encompasses charges of knowing/reckless child abuse resulting in death, knowing exposure of controlled substance manufacturing activities, knowing/reckless child abuse resulting in no injury, a pattern of racketeering under the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act (COCCA), and conspiracy to commit a pattern of racketeering under COCCA.
The coroner’s report revealed that Aviyana had a shocking 10 times the lethal amount of fentanyl in her system for an adult. Home surveillance cameras captured the heart-wrenching scene of the toddler left alone in her crib, crying and struggling to breathe, as her father, Alonzo Montoya, was found to be operating a drug-dealing operation from their residence.
Colorado’s Disturbing Footage
The Colorado footage depicted drug-related activities both before and after Aviyana’s death, including the toddler playing on the bed in the master bedroom, placing items in and around her mouth on the night of the tragedy.
District Attorney Brian Mason expressed his dismay over the case, highlighting that Montoya ran a large-scale drug operation with two children present, resulting in the death of one.
Mason emphasized the severity of the situation, noting the helpless child’s ingestion of fentanyl and prolonged exposure to dangerous narcotics during teething.
While initially charged with first-degree murder, Alonzo Montoya had the charge dismissed due to a lack of evidence proving he knowingly killed the child. Montoya is set to be sentenced on April 4 at Adams County District Court.
The 32-year-old mother of Aviyana, Nicole Casias, is also a party to the Colorado court proceedings and is charged with the same offenses. Her trial is planned for March 11. The case presents a tragic and extremely unsettling picture of drug-related criminal activity inside a familial context combined with child maltreatment.
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