Authorities apprehended the mother of a missing five-year-old child following the alleged discovery of the girl’s remains inside her apartment in Aurora, Colorado.
Initially taken into custody for attempting to influence a public servant, Alexus Tanielle Nelson, 27, faced additional charges on Thursday. The Aurora Police Department revealed that she now faces charges of child abuse resulting in a fatality, tampering with a corpse, and tampering with evidence. The charges were brought after the girl’s remains were reportedly found in a closet at Nelson’s residence on Wednesday, May 31.
The police were alerted to the situation when Nelson’s mother reported receiving “concerning statements” from her daughter and expressed worries about her grandchild’s safety. Responding to the call, law enforcement officials questioned Nelson, who claimed that she had given her daughter up for adoption. However, she failed to provide any documentation to support her claim, and the authorities could not verify it through state records. As a result, she was arrested.
While awaiting identification of the victim from the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation has identified the missing girl as Maha Li Hobbs. During a press conference on Thursday, Aurora Police Chief Art Acevedo expressed confidence in the victim’s identification. He also indicated that there is a high likelihood that murder charges will be filed.
Currently, Nelson remains in custody on a $100,000 bond. It is unclear whether she has entered a plea to the charges or retained legal representation to provide a comment on her behalf.
