SALT LAKE CITY -
Going on a tip that a baby was being held by a drug dealer, police raided a North Salt Lake residence to find the nine-month-old baby that they were told had been left there by the mother. "We actually had information that there may be a child in one of these homes that did not belong to the drug dealer and we did confirm that once we made entry into the home," said Lt. Don Hutson from the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Police arrested Alma Castillo, 38, who was found with the child, for illegal drug distribution.
Castilla told police that she had been in possession of the baby for at least a week and said that the mother had given her the baby to care for and not for payment of drugs.
"We were not sure exactly of the transaction that occured but we did know that a user of meth, the natural mom of this little baby, had turned over guardianship of this baby to Miss Castillo who is a meth dealer," said Hutson. "[The mother] said that she's ill equipped to care for her child at this time and she's moving from car to car, house to house with no stable home and felt like the baby would be safer with this woman [Castillo], albiet a drug dealer."
The mother of the child had given Castillo her Medicaid card to use when she handed over the baby. Police say that the baby was in good health and that Castillo said the mother had written a note stating that she gave guardianship of the child.
"Interestingly the home was not cared for, but when you look at the child he looked clean and very well cared for," said Hutson
The mother of the child has not been formally charged yet and the baby is in child protection services.
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Police arrested Alma Castillo, 38, who was found with the child, for illegal drug distribution.
Castilla told police that she had been in possession of the baby for at least a week and said that the mother had given her the baby to care for and not for payment of drugs.
"We were not sure exactly of the transaction that occured but we did know that a user of meth, the natural mom of this little baby, had turned over guardianship of this baby to Miss Castillo who is a meth dealer," said Hutson. "[The mother] said that she's ill equipped to care for her child at this time and she's moving from car to car, house to house with no stable home and felt like the baby would be safer with this woman [Castillo], albiet a drug dealer."
The mother of the child had given Castillo her Medicaid card to use when she handed over the baby. Police say that the baby was in good health and that Castillo said the mother had written a note stating that she gave guardianship of the child.
"Interestingly the home was not cared for, but when you look at the child he looked clean and very well cared for," said Hutson
The mother of the child has not been formally charged yet and the baby is in child protection services.
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