Atlanta mother accused of giving alcohol to 2-month-old, charged with murder
A 2-month-old boy died last year with more than twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system, investigators found.
Nearly four months later, baby Nova’s mother has been charged with murder, Atlanta police said Monday.
Omayrilin Colon, 37, is accused of giving her baby alcohol in a bottle, “causing significant pain due to alcohol poisoning,” according to Fulton County arrest warrants obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Colon faces charges of murder and first-degree cruelty to children.
Police were called to the Cielo at West Midtown apartments Oct. 14. When officers arrived around 10:45 p.m., they found the baby was not breathing. He was rushed to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite, where he was pronounced dead the next day.
There were no physical signs of trauma, warrants state. Blood was drawn to be sent for a toxicology screen.
By early January, those results were ready and showed the baby had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.179, according to the warrant. The legal driving limit for adults is 0.08.
“The medical examiner consulted with emergency department pediatric physicians and concluded that the child consumed alcohol from a bottle, not from breastfeeding,” the warrant states.
In adults, blood-alcohol concentrations above 0.16 cause higher levels of impairment, such as confusion, nausea, and difficulty speaking and walking, according to the National Library of Medicine. Blackouts, or gaps in memory, are also possible at this level.
Police eventually contacted Colon, who told them her baby had never been given alcohol and she doesn’t keep alcohol in her house, investigators detailed in the warrant.
“Ms. Colon stated that she had breastfed Nova earlier in the day and then gave him a bottle,” according to the warrant. “She fixed the bottle with formula, and Nova drank half of it.”
Colon was arrested in Forest Park and later booked into the Fulton County Jail, where she remains without bond.
