Lethbridge Teen's Death Highlights Addiction Issues

The death of a Lethbridge teen whose body was found on a city street on Boxing Day, and his mother's subsequent criminal charges, is putting a spotlight on addiction.

On Dec. 26, 2024, Lethbridge police arrived on the scene of a dead 13-year-old boy.

While rumours swirled for weeks in the southern Alberta city, official information was scarce until Wednesday afternoon when police charged a 38-year-old woman with criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessaries of life.

The woman was the mother of the dead teenager and Lethbridge police said the two had been using drugs together at a southside home on Christmas Day. However, police said the boy took too much.

"Life-saving measures did take place, but as you all know, unfortunately, with time -- it cost," said Pete Christos, staff sergeant with the Lethbridge Police Service.

At the time of the suspected overdose, 911 was called, but the line was quickly dropped.

"When people hang up, we respond just to make sure because we don't know if they're under duress or what the circumstances are."

According to police, when officers arrived to the home, the boy's mother hid her son and lied about his whereabouts because she feared he would be taken away.

"He was missing from a local area where we keep youth, so we were looking out for him, trying to locate him and bring him back to where he belongs," said Christos.

Sometime later in the evening on Christmas, police said the mother and son left the home and walked to a nearby business. During this time, the boy was still in medical distress.

The boy was reported dead by his mother at 2 p.m. the next day.

Video surveillance showed the pair spent the night on the street and the boy never moved from the ground, police said, adding at no time were paramedics called.

Two people who work at a business near where the boy was found told Global News they saw emergency responders remove the body from a spot in front of Foothills Cleaners.

Police believe the boy died from an overdose, but toxicology results to confirm it are still being processed. (Such tests can take weeks or months to complete.)

"It's out there," Christos said of illegal drugs.

Addictions expert Darren Christensen, who is an associate professor at the University of Lethbridge, said an ugly side to addiction was shown in this case.

"If we're thinking of the mother, I imagine it was something she wanted to do with other people and perhaps the child was the only person in her life. From her perspective, (it's) probably less dangerous than what other people would perceive. But, obviously, it was extremely dangerous and fatal."

Christensen says the fate of the boy can also be evidenced of the situation he was raised in.

"(Drug use) will become more difficult to escape from. (Drugs) would be seen as something that is normal and that everyone would do."

The cycle of drug use is an abyss, according to Christensen, that many struggle to climb out of.

Still, Christos says getting help is possible.

"We have community partners in our city where those who are struggling with addiction can seek out the help that they need. Never feel that we judge by it -- they're out there, you just have to reach out," said Christos.

However, to prevent tragedies like this one, which was described as a first-of-its-kind, he says police won't rest.

"We're doing a lot of different things. With the opioid crisis happening, we're trying to do different projects throughout the city and concentrate on apprehending those that are involved in the drug trade and trying to educate the public as well."

Blanche Isobel Irene Fick, 38, of Lethbridge, has been charged with criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessaries of life.

Fick remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Friday, Feb. 7.