Chattanooga mom accused of exposing baby to marijuana; child found unresponsive
Erica Justice, 26, of Chattanooga was arrested over the weekend on a warrant after her baby tested positive for cannabis at Children’s Hospital.
According to the arrest affidavit, Justice found her baby unresponsive in a bathtub.
The child was immediately taken to Children’s Hospital where doctors sad there were no signs of water in the child’s lungs but also said the baby was very lethargic with pinpoint pupils.
A toxicology screen came back positive for cannabis.
Justice reportedly told doctors she had put two of her small children in the bathtub together and left the bathroom to to get pajamas. She said when she returned, her baby was on its side with its nose under the water.
When a Chattanooga police investigator arrived at the hospital, Justice admitted smoking marijuana the day before. She submitted to a drug screen on the spot and tested positive.
Her other small child was also tested but the test came back negative.
Her boyfriend and two other children showed up at the hospital. According to the arrest affidavit, the other two children were also drug tested but the results of those test have not been disclosed.
When police interviewed her boyfriend, he reportedly said Justice purchased marijuana earlier in the day and smoked four blunts while driving with the four children inside the vehicle.
According to the arrest affidavit, there was enough evidence to charge Justice for aggravated child abuse because she knowingly failed to provide a safe environment for her children by possessing and using marijuana around her children.
The affidavit went on to say that her neglect affected the health and welfare of the child who required immediate medical attention.
Leave a Reply