Two adults have received minor charges following the death of a 12-year-old girl in Loveland.
Michael Earl Davenport, 32, faces a felony charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Sandra Michelle Maae, 18, faces the same felony charge and a petty offense of underage possession and consumption of alcohol.
Nikole Berthoud died in January, just hours after police cited her for underage drinking, but the coroner concluded alcohol was not the cause of her death.
An autopsy showed that she died of a heart condition that is frequently associated with drug addicts. The damage to her heart, broadly called cardiomyopathy, is most often seen in people who use stimulants, such as methamphetamine and cocaine.
The report said: “The investigation revealed that the living environment provided for this child included exposure and access to a variety of illegal and deadly drugs.”
But the autopsy did not say when she might have been exposed to the drugs. None were found at her home when she died, and family members were not under investigation.
When the autopsy findings were released, Det. Paul Arreola of the Loveland Police Department said that an “acquaintance” of Berthoud would be charged with providing alcohol.
On the day she died, Jan. 14, Nikole and a couple of friends were cited for underage drinking. Paramedics showed up, checked the girls and released them to their parents. That evening, Nikole began complaining of stomach pains, her grandfather said. Her condition worsened until she collapsed.
By the time she was taken to McKee Medical Center, she had died.
Staff writer John Ingold contributed to this report.
