GOLDEN, Colo. (Dec. 9, 2026) – Alexander Avila and Lisa Johnson have pleaded guilty and been sentenced for the death of eleven-week-old Ezra Johnson.
On July 26, 2024, Lakewood police agents responded to a call of an unresponsive baby, who was later identified as Ezra Johnson. Ezra was pronounced deceased at the scene by paramedics.
Ezra’s cause of death was later determined to be methamphetamine toxicity, with 53,000 ng/mL detected in his blood. Ezra’s manner of death was ruled a homicide.
Ezra, who was the biological son of Johnson, shared a room with Johnson and Avila in Lakewood. The investigation revealed that Ezra was in the care of both Johnson and Avila on the evening of July 25, 2024, up through the afternoon of July 26, 2024.
While neither party claimed responsibility for feeding Ezra the lethal bottle, both Johnson and Avila admitted to knowing that illicit drugs, including methamphetamine, were used and stored in the living space and that baby bottles and other types of containers for liquids were among the objects used for storage of methamphetamine in their room.
Avila pleaded guilty on November 3, 2025, to added count three, Child Abuse Resulting in Death – Criminal Negligence, a class three felony, and added count four, Accessory to Crime, a class four felony. The parties stipulated to a sentence of between 10-18 years in the Department of Corrections.
Johnson pleaded guilty on December 4, 2025, to an added count two, Child Abuse Resulting in Death – Knowingly or Recklessly, a class two felony. The parties stipulated to a sentence of between 16-28 years in the Department of Corrections.
As a result of their pleas, the remaining counts were dismissed.
On January 8, 2026, Avila was sentenced to 18 years in the Department of Corrections on count three and 12 years, concurrent, on count four, for his role in Ezra’s death. District Court Judge Tamara Russell told Avila, “Everyone could see how this was coming to a head, how this was going to happen. I don’t think that you intentionally fed meth to the child, but had you not been in active addiction, you would have seen what everyone else sees; it was bound to happen.”
Avila was on felony probation at the time of Ezra’s death and had three prior felony drug convictions. When referring to Avila’s criminal history, Judge Russell stated, “At some point, it should have been enough for you to seek help.”
Avila also spoke at the hearing, expressing to the Court that he was sorry for Ezra’s death and thinks about it every day.
At Johnson’s sentencing earlier today, Chief Deputy District Attorney Tyra Forbes argued for the maximum sentence available under the plea. Forbes argued that “Ezra experienced child abuse his entire life…in the womb, in the environment where he was raised, through neglect about his personal surroundings and safety, in the drugs that ultimately killed him… and from the mother that wouldn’t let anyone in to help.”
Forbes further noted that Johnson had multiple resources available to her: “DHS was involved, a homeless navigator was involved, and she had a woman who already adopted her third child that would have taken Ezra, had she just asked,” stated Forbes. “While unlike Mr. Avila, Ms. Johnson doesn’t have three prior felonies, but she did have three children previously removed from her care. And this is the fourth.”
Johnson also spoke at sentencing, apologizing to Ezra and acknowledging she will always wonder what would have happened if she had sought help.
District Court Judge Russell, noting how difficult and sad this case was, stated, “Being a mom is one of the most important jobs, and not every child deserves the mom they get. It was up to you to make that decision. Your big mistake wasn’t leaving him with Avila; it was living there, doing drugs, hanging out with people using drugs, and not realizing this was going to come to a head.”
Johnson was sentenced to 25 years in the Department of Corrections, followed by a mandatory three years of parole.