MORGAN COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — A woman was arrested following a toxicology report of two fetuses that were found in a box in December 2024, according to court documents.
Court records show that Mary Deniese Soto was arrested on May 13 for chemical endangerment of a child in an environment in which controlled substances are produced or distributed.
Records say that Soto recklessly permitted a child to be exposed to, ingest or inhale a controlled substance, chemical substance or drug paraphernalia. It says she ingested methamphetamine, amphetamine and benzoylecgonine while pregnant.
On Dec. 6, 2024, a Morgan County investigator was advised of a child death call at Aladdin Trailer Park in Lacey’s Sping. Documents say the investigator was advised that the Morgan County Dispatch received a call from a Captain with the New Hope Police Department saying that they had in custody, Soto, who had given birth earlier in the day.
The document says Soto gave birth around 7:30 a.m. to two fetuses.
According to Soto, the fetuses were dead and placed in a box covered with a sheet and ice covering them. The document says she advised that she had just found out that she was pregnant and was about 20-21 weeks along.
In an interview with the investigator, Soto said that before finding out she was pregnant, she had just quit methamphetamine. Since she learned of her pregnancy, Soto said she had not used meth or taken any kind of medication other than what was prescribed for her UTI.
Two investigators then met with Morgan County Coroner Jeff Chunn when he arrived on the scene.
The document says both investigators went outside where the truck was kept, unlocked it and retrieved the box where both fetuses were kept.
Court records show Chunn was able to extract some of the liquid from inside the amniotic sac for testing and then he took the box that contained the fetuses.
Chunn used an oral fluid multi-drug screening kit to test the fluid he extracted from the sac of the first fetus. The document says the results from that test came back positive for meth, amphetamine and cocaine.
On Dec. 17, 2024, Chunn submitted blood samples belonging to Soto to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences. On Jan. 9, the toxicology report returned with positive results for methamphetamine and amphetamine.
Blood and fluid samples belonging to the fetuses of Soto were submitted to ADFS and on Jan. 30, the results showed that there was benzoylecgonine, methamphetamine and amphetamine present.
Soto was arrested earlier this year after a Morgan County K9 Deputy indicated there were narcotics present in a vehicle during a traffic stop. After a search, MCSO said that two bags, both containing a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and a gun that had been reported stolen, were found in the vehicle.
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