Adams County Father Convicted of COCCA, Child Abuse Resulting in Death as a Result of Daughter's Fentanyl Poisoning
January 23, 2024
Brighton, CO — Today, District Attorney Brian Mason is announcing the Child Abuse Resulting in Death and COCCA (Colorado Organized Crime Control Act) conviction of Alonzo Montoya, 33, following a two-week trial in Adams County District Court.
On January 2, 2022, Aviyana Montoya, Alonzo's 22-month-old daughter, died in their Brighton home as a result of ingesting a significant amount of fentanyl. The coroner determined that Aviyana had 10 times the amount of fentanyl in her system needed to kill an intolerant adult user. On the night of January 2nd, Aviyana was placed in her crib around midnight. Home surveillance cameras from inside her room showed the little girl crying and struggling to breathe before her death. No one checked on Aviyana for nearly 14 hours. When her parents finally went into her room in the afternoon they discovered that Aviyana was unresponsive and not breathing. Paramedics arrived on scene and attempted life-saving measures, but she was eventually pronounced dead.
Through the course of the investigation, the Brighton Police Department and the North Metro Task Force uncovered that Alonzo Montoya was running a drug-dealing operation out of his home. Home surveillance cameras showed drug-dealing and drug-using activities inside the home before, during, and after Aviyana's death. The night of her death, Aviyana was seen playing on the bed in the master bedroom where individuals were using drugs and drugs were present. At points throughout the evening, Aviyana, who was teething and present during this activity, was seen placing items in and around her mouth. The photographs below are still shots from some of the home surveillance cameras from inside the master bedroom.
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On September 22, 2022, an Adams County Grand Jury indicted Montoya on various charges including:
During the trial, which began on January 8, 2024, an Adams County Jury heard testimony from Brighton Police Officers, members of the North Metro Task Force, doctors, and experts who talked about Aviyana's toxicology which included fentanyl and methamphetamines. The jury also heard from drug associates of Montoya, and they watched the surveillance videos from inside the home. Following a two-day deliberation, the Adams County Jury found Montoya guilty on all counts:
"This defendant ran a large-scale drug operation while two children were present and now one of them is dead," said District Attorney Brian Mason. "This helpless child – who was teething at the time of her death – ingested fentanyl, which the defendant was selling, and had prolonged exposure to methamphetamines and other dangerous narcotics. It is one of the most outrageous cases I have seen. My heart breaks for this little girl, who truly never had a chance. I am grateful to my team for seeing this case through as well as the Brighton Police Department and North Metro Task Force for their thorough investigative work. I thank the jury for sitting through the difficult facts in this case and delivering a just verdict on behalf of Aviyana."
Aviyana's mother, Nicole Casias, 32, was also indicted by an Adams County Grand Jury on the same charges as Alonzo Montoya. Her case is set for jury trial on March 11, 2024.
The prosecution of Alonzo Montoya's case was led by Assistant District Attorney Jess Redman and Senior Deputy District Attorney Natalie Scarpella.
District Attorney Mason assumed the oath of office on January 12, 2021. The 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office endeavors to seek justice on behalf of the citizens of Adams and Broomfield counties in felony and misdemeanor cases. DA Mason and his staff are dedicated to transforming the criminal justice system to better serve the citizens of the 17th Judicial District.
Go Back On January 2, 2022, Aviyana Montoya, Alonzo's 22-month-old daughter, died in their Brighton home as a result of ingesting a significant amount of fentanyl. The coroner determined that Aviyana had 10 times the amount of fentanyl in her system needed to kill an intolerant adult user. On the night of January 2nd, Aviyana was placed in her crib around midnight. Home surveillance cameras from inside her room showed the little girl crying and struggling to breathe before her death. No one checked on Aviyana for nearly 14 hours. When her parents finally went into her room in the afternoon they discovered that Aviyana was unresponsive and not breathing. Paramedics arrived on scene and attempted life-saving measures, but she was eventually pronounced dead.
Through the course of the investigation, the Brighton Police Department and the North Metro Task Force uncovered that Alonzo Montoya was running a drug-dealing operation out of his home. Home surveillance cameras showed drug-dealing and drug-using activities inside the home before, during, and after Aviyana's death. The night of her death, Aviyana was seen playing on the bed in the master bedroom where individuals were using drugs and drugs were present. At points throughout the evening, Aviyana, who was teething and present during this activity, was seen placing items in and around her mouth. The photographs below are still shots from some of the home surveillance cameras from inside the master bedroom.
On September 22, 2022, an Adams County Grand Jury indicted Montoya on various charges including:
- First-Degree Murder
- A Pattern of Racketeering under COCCA
- Conspiracy to Commit a Pattern of Racketeering under COCCA
- Child Abuse – Knowing/Reckless Child Abuse resulting in death
- Child Abuse – Knowing Exposure of Controlled Substance Manufacturing Activities (2 counts)
- Child Abuse – Knowing/Reckless Child Abuse resulting in No Injury (Charge Related to Alonzo Montoya's Other Child)
During the trial, which began on January 8, 2024, an Adams County Jury heard testimony from Brighton Police Officers, members of the North Metro Task Force, doctors, and experts who talked about Aviyana's toxicology which included fentanyl and methamphetamines. The jury also heard from drug associates of Montoya, and they watched the surveillance videos from inside the home. Following a two-day deliberation, the Adams County Jury found Montoya guilty on all counts:
- A Pattern of Racketeering under COCCA
- Conspiracy to Commit a Pattern of Racketeering under COCCA
- Child Abuse – Knowing/Reckless Child Abuse resulting in death
- Child Abuse – Knowing Exposure of Controlled Substance Manufacturing Activities (2 counts)
- Child Abuse – Knowing/Reckless Child Abuse resulting in No Injury (Charge Related to Alonzo Montoya's Other Child)
"This defendant ran a large-scale drug operation while two children were present and now one of them is dead," said District Attorney Brian Mason. "This helpless child – who was teething at the time of her death – ingested fentanyl, which the defendant was selling, and had prolonged exposure to methamphetamines and other dangerous narcotics. It is one of the most outrageous cases I have seen. My heart breaks for this little girl, who truly never had a chance. I am grateful to my team for seeing this case through as well as the Brighton Police Department and North Metro Task Force for their thorough investigative work. I thank the jury for sitting through the difficult facts in this case and delivering a just verdict on behalf of Aviyana."
Aviyana's mother, Nicole Casias, 32, was also indicted by an Adams County Grand Jury on the same charges as Alonzo Montoya. Her case is set for jury trial on March 11, 2024.
The prosecution of Alonzo Montoya's case was led by Assistant District Attorney Jess Redman and Senior Deputy District Attorney Natalie Scarpella.
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District Attorney Mason assumed the oath of office on January 12, 2021. The 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office endeavors to seek justice on behalf of the citizens of Adams and Broomfield counties in felony and misdemeanor cases. DA Mason and his staff are dedicated to transforming the criminal justice system to better serve the citizens of the 17th Judicial District.