NAMPA, Idaho — A third woman has come forward saying she contacted Idaho Health and Welfare with concerns about a newborn's safety just days before the baby died in a Nampa neighborhood last month.
Meghan Nixon told me she called child protective services after learning about the living conditions of baby Benjamin, whose body was discovered following a 911 call in December. Nixon said she went to school with the baby's mother, Allysen Armenta.
WATCH | Another woman says she warned authorities about the baby's welfare—
"Just do something, do something. Let's please get a lot of attention on this because I know their past. I know what they're capable of, and I know this baby's not safe," Nixon said.
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Armenta and Brian Lemke are charged with multiple felonies, including injury to a child and failure to report a death. Court documents show investigators say the couple has had five children removed from their care.
Nixon said she had been monitoring Armenta's situation since 2016.
"I had actually started keeping tabs on her when she started having her first child in about 2016. Because I was like, there's no way this can end good," Nixon recalled.
Nixon also posted her concerns about the baby's living situation on social media. She said the baby died the same night she made that post.
Two other women have also told Idaho News 6 they contacted Health and Welfare before the baby's death. A woman who says she adopted three of Armenta's children spoke anonymously for her family's protection. She said she raised concerns about the lack of heat in Armenta's trailer, knowing there was a newborn inside.
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Another woman, Delfina Krakau, said she fostered one of Lemke's children and reached out to Health and Welfare just days after baby Benjamin was born.
According to Nixon, Benjamin's case was marked as low priority, and no intervention occurred while the baby was still in the hospital.
"I have fought really hard for these kids — whether they've been mine or the community's foster kids. Even down to the end in this situation, we were not fully heard, and a baby died," Krakau said.
Neighborhood Reporter Victoria Rodriguez reached out to the St. Aplhonsus Health System for more information regarding the infant and its well-being. They responded with the following statement: "We cannot share details about a specific patient situation. However, we take very seriously our obligation under Idaho law to report suspected child abuse, neglect or abandonment to CPS or law enforcement."
The Nampa Police Department said it was unaware of the couple’s criminal history before the infant’s death. Police said they received a call for a welfare check on Dec. 14, but the officer assigned to the case could not locate Lemke and Armenta’s residence.
When asked why officers did not more aggressively pursue Armenta — who had an active warrant out of Ada County — the department said it did not know her location. Police also said that even if they had known the couple’s whereabouts, they could not have carried out the welfare check unless an officer determined the child was in immediate danger.
Officers said they called Lemke as part of the welfare check, but he refused to provide the location of his trailer.
Idaho Health and Welfare said they are working on a response to our questions.
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Since Benjamin's death, an outpouring of support continues to grow near his former home, with a memorial established in the neighborhood.
"I don't think it should have got pushed under the rug, but I don't think people would have held Nampa PD and Health and Welfare as accountable as they needed to," Nixon said.
Armenta is expected back in court on January 7, with Lemke scheduled to return on January 13. Idaho News 6 will continue to follow this case as the investigation moves forward.
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This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
