A Baton Rouge mother faces felony charges after her 14-month-old son was rushed to the hospital with a blood alcohol level more than four times the legal limit for an adult driver.
Genesis Harrell, 27, was arrested on Thursday, July 2, and charged with second-degree cruelty to juveniles. The arrest followed a weeks-long investigation into an incident that left her toddler intubated and breathing on a mechanical ventilator in a pediatric intensive care unit.
According to police arrest warrants, Harrell called emergency services on May 18 from her boyfriend’s apartment, where she resides with her son. She reported that the typically active boy had gone completely limp when she tried to pick him up and failed to improve after taking a nap.
Upon arrival at the hospital, medical staff discovered the toddler had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.305%. In Louisiana, the legal driving limit for adults is 0.08%. According to medical data from the Cleveland Clinic, a BAC reaching between 0.30% and 0.40% typically causes alcohol poisoning, loss of consciousness, and is considered a life-threatening medical emergency.
Hospital personnel diagnosed the child with alcohol intoxication with complications, stupor, and acute respiratory failure. The boy was also suffering from hypoxia and hypercapnia, a dangerous buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood. Medical staff noted that without immediate emergency intervention, the child faced a severe risk of respiratory arrest, permanent brain injury, or death.
When questioned about how the 14-month-old managed to ingest the alcohol, Harrell told investigators she did not know. While she acknowledged there was alcohol inside the apartment, she maintained it was kept in a secure location.
Warrants state that she later declined to answer further questions from police regarding the specific type of alcohol, where it was stored, or her exact timeline of actions during the incident.
Though Harrell noted her boyfriend was working from home at the time, investigators clarified in the warrant that the boyfriend was not responsible for supervising the child, identifying Harrell as the toddler’s sole guardian.
In the official arrest records, police wrote that Harrell demonstrated “such disregard for the victim’s interests and safety that her conduct constituted a gross deviation below the standard of care expected of a reasonably careful parent.”
Harrell was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. As of Friday, July 3, the child remained hospitalized in the pediatric intensive care unit. It is currently unclear if Harrell has retained legal representation, and local law enforcement agencies have not released further statements.
READ: Arizona Man Threatens To Kill Sheriff, Demands Trump Grant Him ‘Full Presidential Immunity’
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
