CALLAHAN, Fla. – Four adults were arrested after a 1-year-old ingested methamphetamine inside a Callahan home earlier this week, according to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.
Detectives said they were notified Tuesday, Feb. 24, that the child had ingested the drug the previous day.
Recommended Videos
Investigators said they later learned the child drank from a sippy cup that residents later discovered contained a small bag at the bottom. A resident of the home told detectives the bag contained methamphetamine.
Despite finding the bag and recognizing the potential exposure, neither the parents nor other residents called 911, according to investigators. They monitored the child overnight.
When the toddler began vomiting the next day, deputies say the mother took the child to a nearby fire station. The child was later admitted to a local hospital for treatment of a possible overdose.
“This is a heartbreaking and completely preventable situation. A one-year-old child was exposed to a dangerous, illegal drug because the adults in that home failed to provide even the most basic level of care and protection,” Sheriff Bill Leeper said. “There is absolutely no excuse for methamphetamine to be within reach of a child.”
According to the Sheriff’s Office, a search warrant at the residence turned up drug paraphernalia, including several glass pipes and containers with methamphetamine residue.
Four permanent residents of the home were arrested and booked into the Nassau County Jail and Detention Center on charges of child neglect causing great bodily harm. Bond was set at more than $25,000 each for two residents, more than $10,000 for another and more than $5,000 for the fourth.
One person also faces an additional charge of possession of drug paraphernalia; that charge carries an added bond of more than $2,500. Detectives say the investigation is ongoing.