In a small city about 50 miles north of Columbus, Ohio, a hospital treated an 18-month-old this weekend for overdosing on Percocet, a painkiller with a high risk of addiction.
But it was not the toddler’s first time with the opioid. The Marion Police Department told The Washington Post that the little girl was admitted to the hospital days earlier for the same affliction. The second time, though, the parents did not say what happened.
Marion Police Maj. Jay McDonald said in a phone interview, “I’m shocked at the circumstances surrounding the case. It’s not something we have dealt with in my 23 years in law enforcement.”
Police arrested the child’s parents on Tuesday, charging them with felony child endangering. Alan Kearns, 33, and Kassandra Kearns, 32, are being held at a multi-county Ohio correctional center, the Marion Star reported Wednesday.
McDonald told the Star that the situation was “extremely dangerous.”
“Percocet’s a strong opiate designed for serious pain and any baby that can get unfettered access to something like that would be in very serious danger,” he told the paper.
The ongoing police investigation shows that the child twice got access to the medication – on July 19 and July 24. McDonald said the parents didn’t have an explanation of what happened the second time around. The first time, Kassandra Kearns said the little girl took pills from her purse.
Last weekend, McDonald said neither parent made a statement to explain what happened. The hospital also had to treat the toddler with a naloxone shot, which is also administered on those who overdose on heroin.
McDonald said he hadn’t seen a case in which a child overdosed twice in such a short span. There have been cases of young ones eating pills by accident, and those usually aren’t treated as a criminal matter, but this case is different.
“You have a duty of care, and the child endangering laws apply in a situation like this, especially when it’s a repeated instance,” he told the Star.
The Kearns also have a young son, who is staying with other family members, the local NBC affiliate reported. Marion County Children’s Services is involved.
The couple will appear in court on Aug. 4.
(c) 2016, The Washington Post ยท Rachel Premack
