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Fayetteville couple charged in infant's death arrested in Colorado

A Fayetteville mother and her fiancee charged in the January death of an 18-month-old girl were arrested Wednesday evening in Colorado.

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FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A Fayetteville mother and her fiancee charged in the January death of an 18-month-old girl were arrested Wednesday evening in Colorado.

Vanessa Ariana Sanchez, 20, and Andrew Tyler Tomczak, 21, were found inside a residence in El Paso County, Colo., the El Paso County Sheriff's Office said. Both are charged with first-degree murder and felonious child abuse resulting in serious injury.

Sanchez is the baby's mother.

Authorities told KKTV, the CBS affiliate in Colorado Springs, Colo., that the couple had their clothes packed and were planning to leave Thursday. A detective told the station that had they left, it was unknown if they would have been caught.

The couple's bond and extradition information were not immediately available. Fayetteville investigators said they have filed extradition paperwork. Tomczak was charged with assault by strangulation in North Carolina in 2014, according to court records.

Fayetteville officers responded to 528 Lambert Street on Jan. 29 regarding the baby, Violet Cortez, who was found unresponsive in a bedroom. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators said the couple was charged based on information received from the state Medical Examiner's Office. Authorities have not released the cause of death.

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