Four adults in Callahan, Florida, are behind bars after a one-year-old child ingested methamphetamine from a sippy cup, prompting a criminal investigation that uncovered a home littered with drug paraphernalia.
Hayden Simmons, Damien Windham, Erica Foley, and Judith Addison each face felony charges of child neglect causing great bodily harm following the incident earlier this week.
The investigation began on Tuesday, February 24, when the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) received a report from the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Detectives soon discovered that on the previous day, the toddler had been drinking from a sippy cup that contained a baggie of methamphetamine at the bottom. According to investigators, a resident in the home confirmed the contents of the bag were indeed the illegal stimulant.
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Rather than seeking immediate emergency medical attention, the parents and other residents chose to monitor the child themselves overnight. It was only after the toddler began vomiting that the mother finally took the child to a local fire station. The child was subsequently admitted to a hospital for a potential 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 in a statement. “There is absolutely no excuse for methamphetamine to be within reach of a child.”
When deputies executed a search warrant at the residence, they found several glass pipes and various containers coated with methamphetamine residue. All four suspects were permanent residents of the home.
They were booked into the Nassau County Jail & Detention Center, with bonds set at $25,000 for Simmons and Windham, $10,000 for Foley, and $5,000 for Addison. Foley is facing an additional charge for possession of drug paraphernalia.
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