La. woman facing murder charge after admitting to giving her toddler drugs daily for several months

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - A mother is being charged with the murder of her 18-month-old child after toxicology results showed a “fatal range for an adult” of methadone and other drugs in the child’s system.

Heather Hidalgo, 42, is charged with first degree murder of her daughter, Isabelle Hidalgo.

Officials with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office say on Friday, Feb. 15, deputies responded to Mariner Drive around 6 a.m. in response to an unresponsive child. When deputies arrived, fire and EMS officials were performing CPR on the girl before transporting her to a local hospital, where she later died.

Investigators interviewed members of the household and learned the child was born addicted to methadone. Her mother was reportedly treated at a local methadone clinic through her entire pregnancy.

Homicide detectives were contacted Mar. 7 after toxicology results showed the child tested positive for lorazepam (a sedative, commonly used to treat seizure disorders or to relieve anxiety before surgery; brand name: Ativan), clonazepam (a sedative, commonly used to treat seizures, panic disorder, and anxiety; brand name: Klonopin), alprazolam (a sedative, commonly used to treat anxiety and panic disorder; brand name: Xanax), and methadone (a narcotic, commonly used to treat severe pain and drug addiction; brand name: Methadose). Testing further showed the alprazolam and methadone levels were well over the “fatal range for an adult.”

Detectives interviewed Hidalgo on Mar. 7 and she reportedly said she keeps methadone in her house, but denied being involved in her child’s death.

Hidalgo was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on several outstanding bench warrants.

Detectives interviewed Hidalgo again on Mar. 20 and she reportedly admitted to giving the drugs to her child on a daily basis over the course of several months. Hidalgo will be re-booked on a first degree murder charge.

Read the full arrest report here.