The tragic story of 5-year-old Sophia Larson is a stark reminder of the devastating effects of drug abuse. The young girl lost her life after drinking her mother’s meth-laced bong water, leading to a fatal overdose. What’s even more heartbreaking is how Sophia spent the last few hours of her life, suffering from hallucinations and neglect at the hands of those who should have been protecting her.
Stephanie Alvarado, Sophia’s 26-year-old mother, had recently lost her job at a dental office for failing a drug test. That same day, she reportedly shared meth with her cousins, 27-year-old Daniel Alvarado and 26-year-old Bertha Karina Ceballos-Romo. They continued to use drugs while driving to pick Sophia up from school but stopped when she got in the car.
However, they left the water bottle they used as a pipe to smoke the methamphetamine unattended, and Sophia drank the contaminated water from it later that night. The meth-laced water caused Sophia to hallucinate, and although it was clear she was suffering from the effects of methamphetamine ingestion, Alvarado and her cousins did not call for help. They were reportedly more concerned about their own legal troubles than the well-being of Sophia.
According to court documents, Sophia’s hallucinations continued for over three hours, during which she told her mother that she was “seeing monsters and demons.” The family tried home remedies, such as giving her milk and wrapping her in a blanket. Daniel Alvaredo and Ceballos-Romo believed that Sophia was possessed by an evil spirit and insisted on reciting Bible passages and praying instead of taking her to the hospital.
Sophia eventually stopped breathing, but her mother did not get her the medical attention she needed, allegedly fearing that she would lose the little custody she had of her daughter. Instead of taking her to the hospital, Alvarado and her cousins took Sophia to an unnamed family member’s home, where they knew there was an oxygen machine. However, giving Sophia oxygen did not help revive her, and it was too late by the time they took her to the Grand River Hospital in Rifle, Colorado.
Sophia was declared dead, with a “very, very high” level of methamphetamine in her system, according to Garfield County Coroner Robert Glassmire.
Stephanie Alvarado, Daniel Alvarado, and Bertha Karina Ceballos-Romo were arrested weeks after Sophia’s death and charged with child abuse resulting in death, possession of a controlled substance, and reckless endangerment. Ceballos-Romo was also charged with tampering with evidence. When police searched the home, they found baggies filled with white powder, drug residue on a dollar bill, and pipes and bongs throughout the apartment.
Sophia’s father, Alex Larson, had ended his relationship with Alvarado a year before because of her substance abuse, and he had wanted full custody of Sophia. The distraught father, who shared custody of his daughter, said he will never forgive Alvarado or her family for his daughter’s death. He believes that if they had taken Sophia to the hospital when they saw her drink the meth-laced water, she might have been a little slow, but she would still be alive today.
Sophia’s tragic death is a reminder that drug abuse is not a victimless crime. Others often pay the price for an abuser’s addiction, and sometimes, it costs them their lives or the lives of those they love. Three adults gambled with a little girl’s life, trying to keep themselves out of trouble, and sadly, there were no winners here. Everyone lost, including Alex and little Sophia, who paid the ultimate price.
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Sources: Taphaps, Mercury News, KREX, Newsweek
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