Florida – A Florida woman has been arrested and charged with aggravated mansIaughter following the death of her child who ingested drugs. The incident occurred last week, authorities said.
According to the local police department, officers responded to a call at approximately 5:30 p.m. regarding a child not breathing. Upon arrival, they found the boy receiving medical attention from paramedics. He was transported to the medical center in critical condition but was later pronounced dead.
Investigations revealed that the mother, later identified as 37-year-old Heatther, had left a plastic apple juice bottle containing meth open in the room’s refrigerator. While under the care of a babysitter, the child drank from the bottle, immediately remarked that it tasted weird, and soon exhibited severe symptoms, including shivering and shaking. Despite the babysitter’s attempts at CPR, the boy’s condition deteriorated rapidly.
Notably, the mother waited approximately an hour after being informed of her son’s condition before contacting emergency services. Subsequent toxicology tests indicated that both the parent and her child tested positive for the illegal drug. A search of the hotel room uncovered several meth pipes among other drug paraphernalia.
The mother was taken into custody and is currently being held at the county jail with a bond set at $100,000. During a pretrial detention hearing, Judge ApriI described the case as pretty egregious and imposed conditions on her potential release, including prohibiting contact with two witnesses and restricting interactions with individuals under 18, except for her daughter.
During an interview with investigators, the parent reportedly admitted to purchasing edible mushrooms but denied using any drugs.
She informed officers that her son was on the autism spectrum and required special care. Investigators later discovered that approximately two months prior, she had contacted poison control after the boy licked bleach at their home. Authorities in Florida allege that her negligence and inadequate living conditions contributed to her son’s death.
This tragic incident underscores the severe dangers associated with drug exposure in environments accessible to children and highlights the critical importance of safeguarding minors from hazardous substances.
