NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – A woman is behind bars Wednesday night after police say her young daughter got ahold of her drugs and ended up in the hospital. It’s yet another example of a problem New Mexico lawmakers discussed Wednesday as the state continues to rank poorly in child welfare.

“New Mexico consistently ranks among the top 6 states for repeat maltreatment occurring within 12 months of an initial allegations,” said members at the legislative finance committee in Las Vegas, New Mexico on Wednesday.

Larissa Lovato is behind bars after her toddler was taken to the hospital for ingesting meth and fentanyl last year. Lovato told hospital staff her daughter was choking on a cracker and that’s why she had been blue in the face, but hospital staff had to administer three doses of Narcan before she was responsive again.


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Police served a search warrant on Lovato’s apartment and found multiple burned foils and fentanyl pills. After a year, police arrested Lovato on child abuse charges Tuesday.

Tuesday, the legislative finance committee heard from state leaders and experts. Lawmakers looked at a report outlining the factors leading to poor brain and emotional development, and long-term problems like depression and substance abuse. And the parents’ history, is a key factor. “And you can see that the number one and two highest risk factors are alcohol and drug abuse.”

In the case of Lovato’s daughter, doctors warned that the toddler’s life was ‘at risk of significant morbidity and quite possibly death’ under the care of her parents.

Larissa has a lengthy criminal history that dates back to 2013 with charges including shoplifting, drug possession, and aggravated fleeing.