EL CERRO MISSION — A 30-year-old mother has been charged with the death of her 1-month-old son.
Kiria Lynn Milton, of El Cerro Mission, has been charged with an open count of murder.
Deputies from the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about the unattended death of an infant at a home on Clearview Drive in El Cerro Mission just after 8 a.m. today, Monday, Nov. 15.
Milton called 911 for help, and when deputies arrived, they found her 1-month-old boy, who had signs of blunt force trauma and was unresponsive, according to a press release from the sheriff’s office.
The child was pronounced deceased on scene by the Office of the Medical Examiner. VCSO Sheriff Denise Vigil said OMI was still determining the cause of death in the case.
While at the home this morning, deputies made contact with a 4-year-old boy, who was transported to The University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque for a precautionary evaluation.
New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department was called to the scene for assistance, and the 4-year-old was taken into state custody on a 48-hour hold after release from UNM-H.
The children’s father has been contacted and is returning home from an out-of state-business trip.
“We are in contact with the district attorney’s office and we will be working with them on this case,” Vigil said.
Vigil said sheriff’s deputies and CYFD also responded to a call at the home last week. She said the mother of the children called the emergency dispatch center, saying she wanted help with her children.
“She basically said she felt overwhelmed and did not want to hurt her children,” the sheriff said. “Deputies performed a mental health check and when they arrived, they did contact CYFD.”
Milton was transported for a mental health evaluation, and the father was deemed a safe person to be with the children and the mother by CYFD, the sheriff said.
“We did the things we were supposed to do and CYFD did not keep us informed of their plan with the family,” Vigil said of last week’s incident. “Unfortunately, we’re here today with this result and having to figure out the in-betweens.”
Julia M. Dendinger began working at the VCNB in 2006. She covers Valencia County government, Belen Consolidated Schools and the village of Bosque Farms. She is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists Rio Grande chapter’s board of directors.
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September 21, 2023
