Colo. mother arrested after 5-year-old daughter’s remains are found in closet
06/02/2023 11:42 am PDT
AURORA, Colo. (TCD) -- Police arrested a 27-year-old mother this week on suspicion of killing her daughter after the child’s remains were reportedly found in a closet at her apartment.
According to a news release, on Tuesday, May 30, at approximately 12:30 p.m., Alexus Nelson’s mother, who lives out of state, called the Aurora Police Department to report Nelson made "concerning statements" via text. The grandmother indicated she was worried about the well-being of her 5-year-old granddaughter, who police later identified as Maha Li.
Officers responded to Nelson’s home on the 100 block of South Elkhart Way, where Nelson said she "gave her daughter up for adoption." However, police said she couldn’t provide official records, and investigators were unable to verify the adoption. Officers arrested Nelson at the time on a charge of attempting to influence a public servant.
In a June 1 press conference, Aurora Chief of Police Art Acevedo said officers prepared and secured several warrants for the apartment and found human remains matching Maha Li’s description "stuffed" in the closet.
Acevedo said, "It was tough to see our cops that had to find that little angel in the condition they found her in."
Officials were unable to positively identify the victim at the time due to the "conditions of the remains."
According to Acevedo, additional charges have been filed against Nelson since the discovery of the remains, including child abuse resulting in death, tampering with a deceased human body, and tampering with physical evidence. He said there is a "high probability" that Nelson will also be charged with murder.
Nelson remains held in the Arapahoe County Detention Center on $100,000 bond.
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