Father of hypothermia victim faces murder charge

Robert Aragon being held without bond in Blaine County jail

By :TERRY SMITH

A 55-year-old Jerome man remained incarcerated without bond in the Blaine County jail this morning in connection to the death of his 11-year-old daughter, who died of hypothermia after trying to walk to her mother's home in the west Magic Reservoir area on Christmas Day.

Sheriff's Lt. Jay Davis said Robert Aragon was being held on suspicion of second-degree murder and felony injury to a child. He said that Lincoln County authorities are expected to pick up Aragon later today for an initial court appearance in Shoshone.

Blaine County Coroner Russell Mikel said Aragon's daughter, Sage Aragon, was pronounced dead at 4:15 a.m. Friday at St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center south of Ketchum. She was found around 2 a.m. that morning by Blaine County Search and Rescue about 3.7 miles west of the intersection of West Magic Road and state Highway 75, south of Timmerman Hill.

According to police reports, Aragon was taking his daughter and his 12-year-old son to their mother's home in the west Magic Reservoir area on Christmas Day when his vehicle became stuck in snow about one mile west of Highway 75. The children were told to walk to their mother's home, which is "eight or nine miles" west of where the vehicle became stuck, according to Davis.

The boy, who was treated and released at St. Luke's, was found Christmas night at a rest area about 4.5 miles west of where the vehicle was stuck.  Davis said the girl had apparently accompanied her brother to the rest area, but then tried to walk back to her father's vehicle.

Davis said that Aragon may have assumed that the children had made it safely to their mother's home.

"They had gotten (the vehicle) out and left and returned later looking for her when they realized she hadn't shown up," Davis said.

Mikel said the incident occurred in the area where Blaine, Lincoln and Camas counties meet.

"Lincoln County was where the car got stuck, Camas County was where she was found and Blaine County was where she was transported and pronounced dead," Mikel said.

He said attempts were made to resuscitate the girl at St. Luke's but were unsuccessful.

"Hypothermic patients have been revived when there was no detectable respiration or pulse," he said. "It is possible under the right conditions."