Colorado woman sentenced after her 2-year-old child dies from suspected abuse

The Pueblo County District Attorney’s Office announced April 3 that a jury found Mythia Latka guilty of first-degree murder — child under 12 — position of trust, and she received a sentence of life in prison without possibility of parole. Prosecutors said the jury deliberated for four “long days” before returning the unanimous verdict.

According to an initial release from the Pueblo Police Department, on Jan. 31, 2023, officers responded to a hospital to a report of an unresponsive toddler. Detectives executed a search warrant at Latka’s home and learned that the child died at around 10 p.m. that night. Officials originally arrested Latka on a charge of child abuse causing death.

In a statement, District Attorney Kala Beauvais said, “Any case involving a child victim is emotionally taxing, and the District Attorney’s Office remains committed to seeking justice for all victims. This bit of justice for this young victim is especially meaningful as April is Child Abuse Awareness Month.”