ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. — A father who was accused of leaving a 1-month-old on a median of Pecos Street in Adams County on Christmas Day has pleaded guilty to child abuse.

Jarvis Sims, 42, pleaded guilty to the charge on Monday. He received a one-year deferred sentence as part of the plea agreement. This means his case can be dismissed in one year if he meets the conditions that were set by the court.

This case began on the morning of Dec. 25, 2024. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office posted on social media that its detectives were working to identify and locate the family members of a 1-month-old boy who was left in a car seat on the median along the 7400 block of Pecos Street. The newborn was wearing just a diaper.

Adams County Sheriff’s Office

The sheriff’s office said somebody had called 911 after they spotted the baby and stopped to help. That Good Samaritan remained at the scene as deputies arrived and began their investigation.

The baby was brought to Children’s Hospital as a precaution. At the hospital, the boy’s urine test came back positive for cocaine, according to court documents. He was placed in the legal custody of the Colorado Department of Human Services.

Later in the day on Christmas, the sheriff’s office said investigators were able to contact the baby’s family members. That evening, the office said both biological parents had been arrested and were facing charges of child abuse. The parents were identified as Sims and Christina Thurman, 33. Court documents also showed a history of domestic violence.

The following day, Dec. 26, a judge ordered the parents to stay away from the baby.

1-month-old boy left in Adams County median on Christmas Day tested positive for cocaine: Affidavit

Denver7 Investigates also obtained court documents that shed more light on what had happened around the median that day. The arrest affidavit stated that the parents had an argument, and Thurman left their apartment. Sims brought the baby outside and yelled at Thurman to “come get the baby to which she refused,” according to the documents.

A witness said she saw a man and woman arguing and the man left the baby in the median, the documents read. The witness said she told him to come get the child, to which he replied, “That’s her kid. Give it to her,” according to the documents. Sims set the baby on the sidewalk and “went home because he had to work in the morning,” the affidavit continues.

The day after the incident, Denver7 sat down with Thurman’s family, who said the mother should not be charged in this case and was not responsible for leaving the baby on the median. They said she saw Sims place the car seat down, but walked away to avoid more trouble. She would have intervened if she had known that Sims was going to leave the newborn there, the family told us.

Watch our report with the family and hear how they felt robbed of the first Christmas with the baby.

Family of 1-month-old boy left in Adams County median says mother should not face charges

The parents were formally charged on Dec. 30. The 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office charged both with child abuse (knowingly/recklessly, no injury) and reckless endangerment. Sims was also charged with a violation of a protection order.

Sims pleaded guilty to child abuse on Monday, and as part of the plea deal, the two other charges against him were dismissed.

Thurman’s case is still working through the court system. She is next due in court on April 21 for a pretrial conference. She has not pleaded in this case.