Not guilty plea in CA meth-laced breastmilk death

HUMBOLDT, Calif. – A Northern California woman has pleaded not guilty to killing her 6-week-old baby by feeding him methamphetamine-laced breast milk.

Prosecutors say 26-year-old Maggie Jean Wortman of Loleta used methamphetamine and passed it to her two children while breast-feeding.

Detectives arrested Wortman last week after a two-month investigation found her son died in November due to "methamphetamine toxicity."

Wortman entered her plea Tuesday in Humboldt County Superior Court. She is charged with involuntary manslaughter and two counts of felony child endangerment.

The Times-Standard of Eureka reports that authorities placed Wortman's 19-month-old daughter in protective custody after she tested positive for methamphetamine.

Wortman faces a maximum prison sentence of nine years if convicted on all counts.

___

Information from: Times-Standard, http://www.times-standard.com