Parents Accused of Abandoning Infant on Christmas Appear in Court
Adams County, CO – Christina Thurman, 33, and her boyfriend Jarvis Sims, 42, faced court on Thursday after being accused of abandoning their 6-week-old son in a car seat, left alone in a median on Christmas morning. The incident occurred near 7490 Pecos Street, just north of Highway 36, following a reported argument between the couple early that day.
Adams County Judge Jacque Lyn Russell labeled Thurman a "danger to your son — both physical and emotional," as details of the troubling situation emerged. According to investigators, the infant tested positive for cocaine. A witness to the incident described seeing a man leave the car seat on the median. Despite her pleas for him to return, he insisted it was Thurman’s responsibility, prompting her to take the child home until police intervention.
Once officers arrived, the baby was placed in protective custody and transported to Children’s Hospital North in Broomfield. Security camera footage from a nearby gas station confirmed the couple’s confrontation prior to the abandonment.
Thurman disclosed to deputies that she had returned home early after a night out and had a dispute with Sims about her drinking. Sims claimed he left the baby in the median before returning home to get some sleep for work.
Both Thurman and Sims are currently held on a $50,000 bond, facing potential charges of misdemeanor and felony child abuse. They are scheduled to return to court on Monday for the formal filing of charges. Notably, Colorado’s safe haven law, which allows parents to surrender infants at designated locations, could have provided an alternative to this situation, as it applies only to newborns up to 72 hours old.