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Mother arrested after 1-year-old found in hot car

Aspen police arrested a local woman for attempted negligent criminal homicide Friday after she allegedly left her baby in a super-heated car, according to court records.

The temperature inside the car ­— parked in the 900 block of East Durant Street ­— was 116 degrees when officers arrived on scene at 1:45 p.m., and the baby was unresponsive and soaked in sweat, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Pitkin County District Court.

The “baby was red in color (and the) baby’s head (was) laying against the door and not responding,” the affidavit states.



A woman who noticed the baby alone in the car removed her “and stated the baby was soaking wet with sweat,” according to the document. The baby was treated by paramedics for 30 minutes.

Nearly an hour later, police located the baby’s mother, Charlesie Edwards, 27, who was drunk, possibly under the influence of drugs and “making suicidal statements” at a downtown Aspen clothing store, the affidavit states. She was identified after police found her purse in the vehicle with the baby.




Edwards was uncooperative with officers and repeatedly tried to walk away from them while “acting very strange by asking odd questions,” the affidavit states.

“While walking to my patrol vehicle, Charlesie Edwards cried and told me she had a severe alcohol problem,” according to the affidavit written by Aspen Police Officer Kirk Wheatley.

Later at the Pitkin County Jail, Edwards, who believed she was arrested for DUI, threatened the lives of jail staff, child protective services counselors and other personnel, according to court records. After calming down, Edwards became emotional about her child.

“I didn’t mean to hurt my baby,” she said, according to the affidavit. “I forgot about her in the car. I can’t believe I did this. I could have killed her.”

Child Protective Services placed the year-and-a-half-old baby with a guardian. Edwards also has an 11-year-old and a 6 year-old child, the affidavit states.

District Judge Chris Seldin allowed Edwards out of jail Monday on a $250 personal recognizance bond. The judge said she was already on probation in Garfield County and therefore is already being supervised by authorities.

jauslander@aspentimes.com

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