PARK COUNTY, Colo. — A grand jury indicted the parents of a young child who suffered severe injuries when they ingested illegal drugs last December, according to court documents obtained by 9NEWS Investigates.
On Monday the Park County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of the parents and identified them as John Knust and Jamie Petkas after their child was injured last December. They provided few details about the case.
The grand jury returned the indictment against Knust and Petkas on May 28. It charges each of them with the following:
- Two counts of child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury
- One count of child abuse
- One count of reckless endangerment
On Friday, 9NEWS obtained the indictments which indicate that the child was injured on Dec. 30, 2023. According to the indictment, on that day the child, described by the sheriff's office as an infant, ingested illegal drugs, which included fentanyl, methamphetamine, and tramadol, which is a pain killer. The document says Knust and Petkas left those substances in the Alma home in locations that allowed the child to consume them.
After ingesting the drugs, the child stopped breathing and lost consciousness. According to the sheriff's office, the child was revived with Narcan. However, the indictment notes, that the child was without oxygen for so long that there may be permanent brain damage.
The indictment also alleges that Knust and Petkas engaged in a pattern of conduct that resulted in the malnourishment of the child. It says there was a lack of medical care and "mistreatment" which resulted in an "accumulation" of injuries.
Both are due in court on Aug. 8.
The day before Knust and Pektas were indicted, the sheriff's office said another infant died and the coroner's office determined that the child's cause of death was a lethal amount of fentanyl.
In that case, the child's father, Lance Avey was arrested on June 11 and later charged. He's next due in court on July 22. Court documents related to his case remain sealed so additional details are unavailable.
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