‘Definitely preventable,’ Court docs reveal what led up to a 2-year-old’s death; Mother in custody

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- A Pueblo mother is accused of abusing her young son and causing his death. Court documents obtained by KRDO indicate the child's death was "preventable."

Tuesday, officers with the Pueblo Police Department responded to Parkview Medical Center at 4 p.m. on the report of an unresponsive two-year-old. While at the hospital, detectives received photos showing the child had bruising to their face, leg, chest, and back. Additionally, there was a very large abrasion, blood on the child's lips, swelling, and several scratch marks on their face and chest.

While the child was taken via Flight for Life to a Colorado Springs hospital, investigators asked to speak to the child's mother, 23-year-old mother, Mythia Latka.

Latka was taken to the Pueblo Police Department. After being read her Miranda rights, Latka began speaking to investigators.

According to the affidavit, on the day of her son's death, she had been dealing with him "screaming and crying." She said she'd "become frustrated" with her child after they kept pulling on their tracheal tube.

Latka explained her son had some "issues," including needing to be fed through a G tube and having a tracheal tube which helped him breathe. Up until two weeks ago, Latka explained he was being fed exclusively through the G tube.

In the affidavit, Latka said around 6 a.m. on Jan. 31, she left the boy in his bed to sleep. Then, around 3 p.m., she checked on him and he was "blue and unresponsive." She told investigators she called 911 around 3:15 p.m., but it was "taking too long" so she tried driving to the hospital. Latka said her car broke down however and she called an ambulance, which came and got her from somewhere along Hwy. 50 near Troy.

According to the affidavit, Latka said her son didn't speak but would yell at her and try and pull out his trach tube. Latka explained the bruises on his face were from her grabbing him and turning his head. She said she did this when he was in the corner.

Latka said the scratches on his face were "likely" from her. When asked about bruising on his legs, she initially said she didn't know. However, she later admitted they "may have been" or "could have been" from her holding him down. Latka admitted she'd tie his hands behind his back with a hair tie while he was in time out to keep him from touching his trach tube.

According to the affidavit, Latka said she "popped" him in the mouth and would "spank" him.

Latka demonstrated to detectives with a doll how she would wrap him in the blanket. According to the affidavit, Latka "laid the blanket on the floor, placing the doll on top of the blanket. Mythia demonstrated [redacted] by folding the doll up in the blanket with the arms down to the side. Mythia said 'that's how I do it, only tighter.'"

When asked if it was possible she did it too tight the day of the incident, Mythia said "it's possible."

According to the affidavit, Latka said when she was living with her mother therapists would come to their house to work with him on eating food and something other than milk. However, Latka told investigators "she didn't see the purpose of the therapy" and didn't continue it when she moved out.

In the affidavit, Latka insisted she knew how to take care of her son, saying she had gone to a class in May of 2022 to show her how to take care of his medical needs. That was the last appointment Latka said she took her son to.

Investigators noted rather than take him for medical care, Latka stated she could do it herself and did not see the point of having trained professionals come to her home to help with her son's care.

When asked how she often she cleaned and cared for his tube ports, Latka told investigators she'd use wipes and clean the tubes daily and that the trach tube would get cleaned once per week.

Detectives also spoke with her roommate. In the affidavit, the roommate confirmed she had witnessed Latka tie his hands behind his back and shove his head against the wall several times. The roommate said that caused his lip to bleed and there was blood left on the wall from where he hit it.

According to the roommate, Latka was only feeding the child a formula made for the G tube.

The roommate also told investigators she had never seen Latka clean or care for his tubes and wasn't sure when the last time it happened.

At some point during the interview, a Colorado Springs hospital doctor told investigators Latka needed to make an end-of-life decision for the boy. According to the affidavit, he would "not likely survive [redacted] injuries due to the fact [redacted] had been deprived of oxygen for too long and [redacted] brain was no longer functioning."

Investigators asked if his injuries were consistent with Serious Bodily Injury, and the doctor stated "yes."

According to the affidavit, the doctor agreed the child had suffered serious bodily injury and stated he likely died from his trach tube not being cleared, causing oxygen deprivation. The doctor noted an alarm would've sounded on the ventilator alerting the caregiver - Latka - of what was happening.

The affidavit noted the doctor stated, "this was definitely preventable."

After speaking with the doctor, the affidavit states Latka authorized doctors to not resuscitate her son if he coded again or perform lifesaving measures. She did ask doctors to wait before they discontinued lifesaving measures until her mother could get to the hospital.

At 10 p.m., detectives were notified the child had passed away at the hospital from their injuries.

According to the affidavit, a doctor told investigators it was clear to him the child had been "neglected" for some time and that his cause of death was "an injury related to the lack of medical attention and lack of care required by [redacted] caretaker." The doctor also noted a skin condition that indicated the issue of neglect had been an ongoing problem.

In the affidavit, detectives noted "not only were Mythia's actions reckless, she knowingly left her [redacted] unattended despite her knowledge of [redacted] medical conditions and daily care needs. Mythia admitted to being frustrated with [redacted] behavior and not only physically abusing [redacted], causing bruising and abrasions, but leaving [redacted] unattended, wrapped in a blanket and unable to help [redacted]. This action or rather inaction is what ultimately lead to [redacted] death."

Detectives learned the child lived in the 2200 block of E. 12th St. Officers executed a search warrant at Latka's home and found feeding items, medical supplies, and the blanket Latka described using to restrain her son.

Latka was arrested for Child Abuse causing Death and booked into the Pueblo County Detention Center.

According to PPD, this was the first homicide in the city in 2023. Pueblo Police Department Communication Center at (719) 553-2502, or Detective Monica Lemmon at (719) 553-3350. To remain anonymous, contact Pueblo Crime Stoppers at

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Pueblo Crime Stoppers at (719)-542-7867 or click here.