Cañon City – A mother was in the shower, high on methamphetamine, when two children in her care fell into an above-ground swimming pool, according to police, and were saved only by the screams of a 4-year-old girl.
A pale, strung-out Nina Davis, 23, appeared in Fremont County Court on Wednesday, a day after her arrest on suspicion of child abuse/neglect and drug possession charges, both felonies. Her voluntary urine test Tuesday night came up positive for methamphetamine, amphetamine, cocaine and THC, according to Cañon City police.
Davis’ two children – Ashton, 4, and Ezra, 2 – and a third child in her care – Raque Valdez, 20 months – were released Wednesday from hospitals in Colorado Springs and Cañon City. The children are now in the custody of the Fremont County Department of Human Services.
The case spotlights the dangers posed to children when adults use drugs, particularly meth.
Speaking generally about abuse and neglect cases, Dr. Kathryn Wells, medical director of the Denver Family Crisis Center, said: “More often than not, there is some element of substance abuse the family is dealing with.”
Cañon City police Capt. Allen Cooper, an 18-year veteran of the department, said he has not seen a more destructive drug than meth.
“It’s at the top of the list as far as our drug problem in Fremont County and in Cañon City,” Cooper said.
Police said Raque’s father, Rich ard Valdez, 18, was doing yard work in front of the home on West Stanley Avenue when he heard Ashton scream.
“The 4-year-old saw the two in the pool and she jumped in and attempted to bring them out, couldn’t do that – and then it was her screams that actually brought the father around from the front yard,” Cooper said.
Police said Ashton was hanging on the side of the pool, and the two younger children had already turned blue. Valdez carried them into the living room and then started CPR. He screamed for Davis, who called 911.
“She said she didn’t know that anything was wrong until the father started yelling at her to come out and give some assistance,” Cooper said.
Police do not know how long the children had been in the pool, which is directly off a deck that wraps around the house. There are no gates or barriers to close off access to the pool from the deck.
Nina Davis was enrolled in a drug-rehabilitation program as part of a March 28 guilty plea on a drug possession charge. She also received a two-year deferred sentence and 90 days in jail.
Court records show Davis tested positive for an illegal substance during a random drug test Monday and also tested “hot” on April 18. She was sentenced Wednesday to 20 days in jail for those violations.
Misti Poirier – the mother of the 20-month old – was in the Fremont County Detention Center on Tuesday when deputies brought Davis into the jail about 11 p.m.
After learning her child was in the hospital, Poirier said she “freaked out” and deputies moved Nina Davis into protective custody.
“I’m mad. I’m extremely mad,” Poirier said Wednesday morning, after serving 35 days for violating conditions of her drug-rehab program.
“I don’t understand how they let three kids (nearly) drown in the pool. I hope the charges go through.”
Staff writer Erin Emery can be reached at 719-522-1360 or eemery@denverpost.com.
