Althea Hrdlichka, the owner and medical director of the Tender Gifts Birth and Wellness Center, was arrested Tuesday, Sept. 1, on six felony charges. The charges are connected to an investigation into an infant death at her Fort Collins location. Hrdlichka also owns the Tender Gifts Birth and Wellness Center in Grand Junction, located at 360 W. Park Dr., Suite 105, which is the city’s sole freestanding birth center.
The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office arrested Hrdlichka, 44, on Tuesday morning. Brecklen Ables, 33, a midwife for the Fort Collins location, was also arrested. Hrdlichka and Ables face three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, a class-four felony, and two counts of tampering with evidence, a class-six felony. Hrdlichka faces an additional count of forgery with a commercial instrument, a class-five felony.
A spokesperson for the Fort Collins Police Services told The Daily Sentinel that the charges originated from a 911 call in February regarding a “distressed newborn” at the Front Range location. The resulting investigation "uncovered a similar 2025 incident, as well as evidence of forgery and tampering." The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies is now conducting its own parallel investigation using evidence gathered by Fort Collins Police.
Hrdlichka was released the same day as her arrest on a $75,000 personal recognizance bond. Spokespersons for both the Grand Junction Police Department and the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed their agencies currently have no cases involving Hrdlichka or the local Tender Gifts clinic, but noted this could change if reports are received.
The state health department’s investigation, copies of which were obtained by the Sentinel despite sealed court documents, detailed an infant death at the Fort Collins birthing center on Feb. 8. The infant was born without breathing at 9:41 p.m., and the birth summary indicated the patient experienced "shoulder dystocia and fetal demise." The investigation stated that police seized client records during a hospital transfer for investigation of the care provided.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) concluded that the facility’s internal review after the death was conducted by Hrdlichka, the clinical director, and the midwife who oversaw the delivery, rather than an independent medical provider. CDPHE determined this internal review falsely concluded that no quality concerns were apparent. A medical record review revealed that the fetal heart tone was recorded only after "roughly an hour or more had passed," not every 30 minutes as required during active labor. CDPHE later concluded staff were measuring the heart tone as required, but the electronic record program, ClientCare, failed to save the metrics, an issue noted for other providers using the same system. Despite this, CDPHE required the facility to acknowledge the discrepancy and implement a standardized process to ensure fetal heart tones are monitored as required and recorded on paper charts. A follow-up inspection in May concluded the Fort Collins facility was in compliance with all surveyed regulations.
The Grand Junction location of Tender Gifts Birth and Wellness Center opened less than three months before Hrdlichka's arrest. A receptionist at the Grand Junction office stated that the clinic "remains open and 'going strong'" but declined to comment on the arrest. No citations have been issued for the Grand Junction birth center since it opened.
Colorado Medical Board records show Hrdlichka underwent multiple reviews in early 2022 for offering patients an unapproved alternative to gestational diabetes testing. Her midwifery license was placed on probation until she completed supplemental education and a one-time review by a practice monitor. Board records indicate she satisfied these requirements, and her license is no longer on probation. A review of Colorado Medical Board records found no board review or disciplinary action for Brecklen Ables. Kylie Massman, a communications specialist for the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, emphasized that all charges are accusations, and suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
