A routine medical call turned into a criminal investigation yesterday morning after a 15-month-old girl was rushed to a local hospital in Union County. What initially appeared to be a medical emergency quickly shifted once doctors conducted a toxicology screen on the infant.
Medical staff discovered methamphetamine in the child’s system, a discovery that immediately triggered a joint investigation by the Union County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
Detectives worked through the day to determine how the toddler could have come into contact with the illegal stimulant.
By the end of the evening, authorities pointed the finger at the child’s mother, Bailey Smith, and her boyfriend, James Kisiah. Investigators concluded that both individuals were directly responsible for the child’s exposure to the drug.
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The legal fallout was swift. Bailey Smith was arrested and booked into the Union County Detention Center, where she faces a charge of Felony Negligent Child Abuse Inflicting Serious Physical Injury.
During her initial court appearance, a judicial official set her bond at $250,000 secured. While Smith remains behind bars in North Carolina, the search for Kisiah led deputies across state lines.
James Kisiah was tracked down and apprehended in South Carolina on identical felony warrants. He is currently being held at the Lancaster County Detention Center as he awaits extradition back to North Carolina to face the charges.
The condition of the 15-month-old has not been updated since she began treatment, and the case remains under active investigation by state and local officials.
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