Left: Brecklen Ables. Right: Althea Hrdlichka (Larimer County Sheriff's Office).
A 911 call about a distressed newborn has led to the arrests of a Colorado birth center owner and a midwife, cops say.
Brecklen Ables, a certified professional midwife, and Althea Hrdlichka, owner of Tender Gifts Birth & Wellness Center in Fort Collins, are both facing felony charges in connection with the distressed newborn, according to court records.
The court has sealed details about exactly what happened, local CBS affiliate KCNC reports.
A source with knowledge of the case told KCNC the charges stem from concerns over the way children were cared for while they were in distress, including at least one case in which a child died. Fort Collins police took Ables and Hrdlichka into custody Tuesday after police obtained arrest warrants in connection with the investigation.
Ables is facing felony charges of attempted influence of a public servant and tampering with evidence. Hrdlichka is facing a felony charge of attempted influence of a public servant, as well as a forgery charge.
The investigation began after Fort Collins Police Services officers responded to a 911 call in February 2026 involving a distressed newborn who had been delivered at Tender Gifts, according to police officials. What investigators uncovered allegedly went beyond that single incident.
According to KCNC, police found a similar incident from 2025, along with evidence that prompted investigators to pursue allegations of forgery and evidence tampering against Ables and Hrdlichka. The forgery allegation relates to accusations from the end of September 2025. The attempted influence of a public servant charge stems from incidents that allegedly occurred between February and June of this year at the birth center.
All of Ables' charges stem from incidents in 2026, according to court records.
Police have turned the case over to the local DA's office for prosecution.
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