Father Of Child Who Ate Crack Accused Of Murder

The father of a 21-month-old girl who died after eating crack cocaine has been charged with first-degree murder, police said Saturday.

Ariele da Silva Ribeiro’s mother rushed her to hospital on Thursday after the toddler started choking and turning red at their home in a slum of Curitiba, capital of Parana state 500 miles southwest of Rio. She died an hour later of heart and respiratory failure.

Doctors told police the girl’s mother said she found the baby licking and eating the remains of crack cocaine on a tin can her father used to smoke the drug.

Inspector Paulo Brissan of the Curitiba police said Silas Pereira da Silva, 41, was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree murder. If convicted, he faces 12 to 30 years in prison.

Da Silva, who is unemployed, told police he is addicted to crack, Brissan said.