Per CNN, a Californian woman has been charged with murder after giving birth to a stillborn baby which was found to have toxic levels of methamphetamine in its system.
25-year-old Chelsea Cheyenne Becker reportedly gave birth on September 10th, but her child had already passed away.
Doctors surmised that Becker was using meth while she was pregnant, which may have killed the baby.
The death was ruled a homicide after an autopsy by the Kings County Coroner's Office discovered methamphetamine in the child's system.
Police arrested the 25-year-old on Tuesday night on a felony charge of first-degree murder, and she was booked into the Kings County Jail in Hanford the following day, with bail set at $5 million. According to CNN, Becker pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Detective Sgt. Justin Vallin of the Hanford police department said, "The levels of methamphetamine in this baby's system were such high levels, even for an adult, so we believe that she was using almost the entire time that she was pregnant," when speaking to KGPE.
Investigators claim that she admitted to used meth throughout her pregnancy right up until she was due to give birth.
Three of Becker's other children were also born with methamphetamine in their systems, and per the publication she has lost custody of several children due to her issues with substance abuse.
Becker's aunt, Julie Lance, reportedly adopted her three-year-old son, and has custody of her one-year-old. Her eldest child, who is four-years-old, has also been adopted.
Speaking about the situation at hand, her cousin, Terra Ordonez, expressed hope that Becker will enter recovery.
"I'm excited for her to straighten up and get clean because I know she's smart enough to get out of it," she asserted. "It's an eye-opener for a lot of women who are struggling. If you're pregnant, scream for help."
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