DA: MOM'S METH BINGE LED TO BABY'S DEATH

A Livermore woman has been charged with murder for allegedly
smothering her 2-month-old son last year while she was coming down
from a four-day methamphetamine high, police said Wednesday.

Jessica Adams, 25, was arrested Tuesday, a day after Alameda County
prosecutors charged her with murdering Gary Sterling at their home on
the 1900 block of Spruce Street on March 19, 2009.

Adams told police she had accidentally suffocated the boy while she
slept, police Lt. Ava Garavatti said.

Over the past year, police pieced together a timeline of the events
that led up to the infant's death, Garavatti said.

Investigators determined that Adams was a "long-time abuser of
methamphetamine" with numerous drug arrests and stints in
rehabilitation, Garavatti said.

Adams' two other children, now ages 3 and 5, had methamphetamine in
their systems when they were born, police said. Both were placed in
protective custody as newborns by Child Protective Services,
authorities said.

A week before Gary's death, Adams made plans to use methamphetamine to
celebrate her birthday on March 15, police said.

"In preparation for using methamphetamine, Adams stated that on March
12, she stopped breastfeeding" Gary, Garavatti said.

Adams brought the boy to a Richmond home, where she "continually
smoked methamphetamine" from March 15 to 18, police said. During this
period, Adams did not sleep, Garavatti said.

On March 18, Adams returned home and, the next day, fell asleep for
the first time since her drug binge, Garavatti said. Adams rolled on
top of her son on a couch, smothering him, police said.

Prosecutors charged Adams with murder on the grounds that she failed
to make arrangements for others to care for her infant, in conscious
disregard for his life, Garavatti said.

Adams is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail and is to be
arraigned Friday.