Salt Lake City Meth Mom Gives Baby to Drug Dealer

November 17, 2009 by Cathy Ribble
Filed under: News

Police raided a North Salt Lake City residence last night after they received a tip that a baby was being held by a drug dealer, only to learn that the baby’s mother had given the child to the dealer.

Alma Patricia Castillo, 38, was found with the child, and was arrested by police for illegal drug distribution. Castilla informed police that the baby had been given to her to care for and not for payment for drugs. The nine-month-old baby had apparently been with Castillo for at least a week.

“We were not sure exactly of the transaction that occurred but we did know that a user of meth, the natural mom of this little baby, had turned over guardianship of this baby to Miss Castillo who is a meth dealer,” said Lt. Don Hutson from the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s office. “[The mother] said that she’s ill equipped to care for her child at this time and she’s moving from car to car, house to house with no stable home and felt like the baby would be safer with this woman [Castillo], albeit a drug dealer.”

The baby is now in the custody of child protection services. The child was reportedly in good health, clean and very well cared for even though the home was not cared for.

No formal charges have yet been filed against the birth mother who gave Castillo her Medicaid card to use when she handed over the baby. Castillo had a note she claimed was written by the birth mother saying she was giving Castillo guardianship of the child.