OTERO COUNTY – Multiple law enforcement agencies are investigating a case of alleged child abuse and a car crash that sent two young Manzanola girls to the hospital this past Sunday.
According to the Otero County Sheriff’s Office, an unidentified 33-year-old woman is suspected of stabbing her daughters, ages 8 and 10, at their home in Manzanola early Sunday morning.
The Sheriff’s Office believes the woman then drove the girls northbound on Highway 207 towards Crowley County, left the roadway, and landed in the Arkansas River.
A passerby called emergency responders, who were able to rescue the girls from the SUV. The woman was found outside of the vehicle, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
All three were transported for medical treatment. The Sheriff’s Office said that while their injuries are serious, they are all expected to survive.
The Otero County Sheriff’s Office, the Town of Manzanola Marshal, and the 16th Judicial District Attorney’s Office are investigating to determine the events leading up to the traffic crash. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has also been requested to provide assistance in the investigation.
The Sheriff’s Office said that because the incident involves child abuse allegations, information released about the case will be limited.
