Venice Couple Arrested After Toddler Suffers Drug Overdose At Their Home

Young children like to put non-edible things in their mouths, and this is a constant source of worry for parents, at least until they find out that the child did not actually swallow the item or that it is not harmful.  Look at the Google search history of people who are new to parenthood, and you will probably find searches like “baby ate chalk,” “toddler swallowed a button,” and “Is it bad if a kid eats unused kitty litter?”  Earlier this year, a Sarasota County woman seemed to hope that Sheriff’s deputies would believe her that this was what happened to a child in her care, but she ended up getting charged with child neglect, and there may be grounds for drug charges against her and her partner, too.  If you are facing charges for keeping controlled substances in a house with a child, contact a Florida drug offense lawyer.

Deputies Revive Child by Administering Three Doses of Naloxone

In January 2021, Kaitlyn Van Dorn, 33, and Blake Pavey, 35 called 911 when a 21-month-old boy in their care would not wake up.  (News reports did not specify the child’s relationship to Van Dorn or Pavey.)  Deputies found that the child was breathing but unresponsive, and suspecting that he had accidentally ingested opioids, they administered naloxone, a drug that can rapidly reverse the effects of opioid overdose.  The child woke up and became alert after the third dose of naloxone, and deputies transported him to a hospital.

Van Dorn told deputies that she and the child had gone for a walk in the neighborhood, collecting rocks in a teal bucket and that the child had probably accidentally ingested a rock or item of trash while Van Dorn was not looking.  Deputies found the bucket, but all it contained was a silver spoon and a tissue.

The investigation continued over the next several months.  The boy’s hospital records revealed that, when he arrived at the hospital, he tested positive for cocaine.  Deputies reviewed security tapes from houses and businesses in the neighborhood and determined that Van Dorn and the child had not gone for a walk in the hours before the 911 call, and therefore, he must have ingested the drugs at home.

Van Dorn and Pavey were both arrested in June 2021 and charged with child endangerment.  Given that there was drug paraphernalia in the house and the child was found to have been arrested with cocaine and opioids, they could also face additional criminal charges for drug offenses.  Pavey posted $15,000 bail and is now free.  Van Dorn is being held without bail because she was on probation at the time of the child’s overdose.

Contact Us Today for Help

If you are arrested on drug charges related to a situation where children were present, you need a criminal defense lawyer.  Contact FL Drug Defense Group for help today.

Resource:

yahoo.com/news/florida-couple-charged-child-neglect-102739491.html