A woman from Lethbridge is facing charges in the death of her teenage son during the Christmas holidays.
Lethbridge police responded the afternoon of Dec. 26, 2024, to the sudden death of a 13-year-old boy, whose body was found along the 1600 block of Mayor Magrath Drive South.
Police believe the boy and his mother had allegedly been using drugs around 5 p.m. on Christmas Day, when he overdosed at a south side residence.
Police said a call was placed to 911 but then hung up on.
“Upon the arrival of first responders, the boy’s mother hid him and lied about his whereabouts to prevent apprehension as he had previously been reported missing,” Lethbridge police said in a news release Wednesday.
Police said after that, the mom and son left the home and walked to a nearby business.
“Evidence gathered during the investigation indicated the boy was in medical distress,” police added.
Video surveillance showed the pair spent the night on the street and the boy never moved from the ground, police said, adding at no time were paramedics called.
On Dec. 26 around 2 p.m., the woman reported she had found her son dead.
Two people who work at a business near where the boy was found told Global News they saw emergency responders remove the body from a spot in front of Foothills Cleaners.
Toxicology results to confirm the teen’s cause of death are still being processed. (Such tests can take weeks or months to complete.)
In the meantime, Blanche Isobel Irene Fick, 38, of Lethbridge, has been charged with criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessaries of life.
Fick remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Friday, Feb. 7.