By John Flood
 Les Besser/special to the town crier Eva Koltai survived alone for days in a bedroom while her mother lay dead. |
Eva Koltai is laughing now and appears to be a well-adjusted, happy 18-month-old in the care of her grandmother in Mountain View. But that wasn’t the case two weeks ago when she was found alone in a bedroom, suffering from severe dehydration, while her mother lay dead in the living room of their Seaside apartment.
Her mother, Claire Sandra Koltai, 40, was found dead July 31. Seaside police initially treated the apartment as a crime scene, but foul play has been ruled out, according to Seaside police.
“The Monterey County
Coronor’s office determined that it was a combination of drugs and alcohol that contributed to her death,” said Captain Steve Cercone of the Seaside police department.
The little girl was found crying while sitting on the bedroom floor with the door closed.
The precise length of time that baby was abandoned before the dead woman was found isn’t known. Neighbors had not seen Koltai for five days, according to Seaside police.
“Eva was badly dehydrated and she was taken to the hospital. She bounced back remarkably fast,” said Eva’s uncle, Les Besser, of Los Altos. “Now, she’s in the temporary custody of my sister, Eva’s grandmother, who lives in Mountain View.”
Because of the ongoing investigation, the family has been unable to retrieve Eva’s clothes and personal things from the Seaside apartment. To help defray funeral costs and other expenses, the family has set up a memorial fund to help Eva.
While the family waits to see who will be granted legal custody, Eva is enjoying the company of her extended family.
“Eva is doing exceptionally well,” said Deborah Attix, sister of the deceased and a resident of North Carolina who is helping with Eva’s needs.
“She’s laughing, smiling, eating and doing all the things a healthy baby should do,” she said. “We are trying to take care of her needs. We have nothing for her.”
The funeral was held Aug. 9 at The Paul Mortuary in Pacific Grove.
Donations to help Eva can be mailed to: Ms. Eva Koltai, 255 S. Rengstorff Ave., Unit 98, Mountain View, CA 94040.
