AURORA | An Aurora man was found guilty of child abuse and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute Wednesday, after his girlfriend’s child swallowed a pill of his containing fentanyl.
The toddler, who survived the overdose in May 2021, was taken to Children’s Hospital Colorado, where medical staff administered three doses of the opioid antagonist drug naloxone.
Antonio Espinosa-Tovar, 29, admitted to investigators that he had been selling pills and knew the child had taken one after finding half of a pill on the floor, according to a press release from the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
When police searched the Aurora home where Espinosa-Tovar lived with his girlfriend and her children, they found three bags on a shelf holding 71 Oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl.
Espinosa-Tovar’s trial in connection with the 2021 incident began Monday, and jurors returned their guilty verdicts on both counts just after 1 p.m. Wednesday. Sentencing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Sept. 8.
“We’re grateful that this 3-year-old child was able to recover following Mr. Espinosa-Tovar’s reckless actions,” said District Attorney John Kellner. “While this situation could have ended in tragedy, this man must be held accountable for putting innocent lives in danger. He made a careless choice to leave this deadly poison in a residence where young children were staying.”
