Anchorage mother indicted on charges in 2-year-old’s death

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - An Anchorage woman was indicted by an Anchorage grand jury on Monday on charges related to the death of her two-year-old son.

Cheyenne Jewel McMullen, 22, faces charges of driving under the influence, manslaughter, and two counts of second-degree murder stemming from an August crash that resulted in the death of her own child.

According to police investigators, McMullen was in a blue Kia SUV while under the influence of alcohol early in the morning of Aug. 31 driving southbound on Lake Otis Boulevard. Skid marks on the road indicate where McMullen lost control of the vehicle, which left the roadway and struck trees and a nearby fence before rolling over and coming to a stop on its roof near the intersection of Lake Otis and 63rd Avenue.

Rescuers were notified of the scene when a nearby citizen reported a female stuck inside of the upside-down vehicle. When the Anchorage Police Department arrived on scene, they located McMullen as well as a 2-year-old child. Officers immediately removed the child from the wreckage and performed CPR before medics transported the victim to Providence Medical Center’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

The child later succumbed to injuries, according to APD.

Using traffic camera footage from the area, APD investigators were able to determine the vehicle’s speed exceeded 94 mph just prior to the crash, and over 70 mph when it left the roadway.

Responding officers noted the smell of alcohol on McMullen’s breath and that she was unable to speak clearly. A test following the accident revealed McMullen’s blood alcohol content of .233, far exceeding the legal limit.

McMullen’s arraignment is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Sept. 16. She remains in custody at Hiland Correctional Center on a $25,000 cash bond.

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