The tragic death of little Aviyana Montoya: Parents cleared of murder in toddler's fentanyl poisoning

The tragic death of little Aviyana Montoya: Parents cleared of murder in toddler's fentanyl poisoning
Alonzo Montoya, 31, and Nicole Casias, 31, were accused to have 'knowingly caused the death' of their 22-month-old daughter Aviyana (Adams County Sheriff and Legacy.com)

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BRIGHTON, COLORADO: The parents of a toddler who died from fentanyl poisoning earlier this year were absolved of first-degree murder charges by Adams County court this week. Charges against Alonzo Montoya, 31, and Nicole Casias, 31, who were accused to have "knowingly caused the death" of their 22-month-old daughter Aviyana Ramona Montoya, were dismissed by Chief Judge Don Quick of the 17th Judicial District on Sunday, December 11. Aviyana was found dead in the family's Brighton home around 2 pm on January 2, 2022.

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According to the arrest affidavit, Aviyana was left unattended for almost 14 hours and surveillance video from inside the apartment showed the young girl repeatedly crying in pain throughout the night. An autopsy revealed that fentanyl and methamphetamine were both present in Aviyana's blood. A coroner noted that the amount of fentanyl found in the toddler's body was 10 times the amount required to kill an intolerant adult user, as per 9 News.