ANALESIA RIVERA - 17 Months - Clifton (E of Grand Junction) CO

The father of a toddler who died after apparently swallowing an Oxycontin pill
told investigators he had dropped the pill but couldn't
find it, according to an arrest affidavit in the case.
30-year-old Manuel Rivera was arrested for investigation
of child abuse knowingly and recklessly causing death, two felony counts
of felony possession of a schedule II narcotic, and a misdemeanor count
of possession of a schedule IV narcotic.
Emergency responders were called to the family's home in Clifton on
March 6, when 17-month old Analesia Rivera was found not breathing.
They could not revive her.
According to the arrest affidavit, Rivera told investigators he had
gotten two Oxycontin pills from a friend in Denver, and had dropped one
of them in his bedroom. He told investigators he couldn't find the other
pill, and said he thought his young daughter, who was playing in the
room, may have taken it.
The arrest affidavit says a toxicology report showed the girl had 13
times the amount of the narcotic recommended for a child in her system.
9Health Reporter Dr. John Torres says even with non-prescription drugs,
parents need to be especially careful.
"Medicines you think might not harm anybody can be very, very
dangerous. Tylenol is a perfect example, acetaminophen. It can damage
the liver, it causes a lot of deaths every year," Torres said.
"Oxycontin is even more concerning because that's a controlled
substance. So that certainly shouldn't be in a child's hands. And if
somebody drops one, if somebody's missing one, you need to do everything
you can to find it, especially if there's small children in the house."
Torres says the best thing parents can do is keep track of
the number of pills in a bottle, to ensure there are none missing.

http://www.9news.com/news/article/191894/188/Baby-may-have-died-after-taking-missing-painkiller-

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -- A man who told police
he lost two Oxycodone pills in his bedroom before his 17-month-old
daughter was found not breathing has pleaded guilty to child abuse
resulting in death. The Daily Sentinel reports
(http://bit.ly/rpkTO2 ) that 31-year-old Manuel Rivera of Clifton faces
between 12 and 18 years in prison at sentencing Dec. 22. He entered his
plea in Mesa County District Court Tuesday. A toxicology report
says Analeisa Rivera had consumed 13 times a safe dose of the narcotic
for a child. She was found not breathing March 6.An arrest affidavit says Rivera
refused to tell investigators where he got the pills. He told
investigators that he dropped two pills in his bedroom, left for a trip
to Denver and couldn't find them when he got back.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/29731277/detail.html

Rivera sentenced to 17 years in death of daughter
By Mike Wiggins
Friday, December 23, 2011

A Clifton man was sentenced Thursday to 17 years in prison in conjunction with the Oxycodone overdose death of his toddler daughter, according to court records. Manuel Rivera, 31, pleaded…

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/father_goes_to_prison_for_17_y