A Colorado birth center owner and a certified professional midwife face felony charges after a 911 call involving a distressed newborn prompted a broader criminal investigation, police said.
Certified professional midwife Brecklen Ables and birth center owner Althea Hrdlichka operate Tender Gifts Birth & Wellness Center in Fort Collins.
Both women were arrested on Tuesday, according to authorities.
The case began with an emergency response concerning an infant delivered at the facility. But investigators said the February 2026 emergency was not the only incident uncovered at the site, police said.
Police reportedly found a similar incident dating back to 2025, according to investigators.
Authorities are looking into concerns about how children in distress were cared for at the wellness center, a source with knowledge of the investigation told KCNC.
That inquiry includes at least one case in which a child died, according to the source.
The findings turned what began as an emergency response into a felony criminal inquiry, authorities said.
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Ables is charged with felony attempted influence of a public servant and tampering with evidence, court documents state.
Hrdlichka is charged with felony attempted influence of a public servant along with forgery, according to court records.
The alleged forgery dates back to September 2025, according to court filings.
The attempted-influence allegations involve incidents that occurred between February and June 2026, court records state.
Authorities have not disclosed what evidence was allegedly tampered with or what documents were forged, according to filings.
Exactly what authorities believe happened to the newborns has also not been made public. Those specifics remain withheld because details of the case are sealed, officials said.
The 911 call for one distressed newborn allegedly led detectives backward to an earlier incident and allegations involving records or evidence. What began as an emergency response ultimately expanded into an inquiry involving a reported child death, police said.
Both women are accused and not convicted, and court records in the case remain sealed.
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