Man accused of causing infant's drug overdose, cleaning syringes in jug of 'baby water'
Posted 2:13 pm, May 29, 2019, by Tribune Media Wire
MILWAUKEE — A 25-year-old Milwaukee man has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of neglecting a child after doctors found both opioids and cocaine in the baby's system.
Versean Anderson is suspected of causing the drug overdose of the 5-week-old.
According to the criminal complaint, officers responded to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin where a doctor said the 5-week-old child "had been admitted to St. Luke's Medical Center and was in respiratory failure."
Hospital personnel administered two doses of Narcan on the baby before the child was taken to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.
Officers spoke with the child's mother who said she left the baby with Anderson, the child's father, on May 6th. She said when she got home from work, Anderson told her the baby was "sleeping all day and would not drink from her bottle."
The mother then gave the baby a bottle; she drank only a little before falling asleep again. That night, Anderson said the child "was having trouble breathing." The mother immediately took her to the hospital.
Anderson initially "denied that he had used drugs and attributed the needles and other drug related items (in the home) to his brother…and two of his friends that he knows are into drugs." He reportedly later told police a friend had come over May 6 and snorted a crushed up Percocet pill.
The friend "had brought syringes with him that cleaned using a gallon jug of 'baby water.'" The two then reportedly purchased cocaine from the friend's dealer, the complaint says. After injecting the cocaine, the complaint indicates the pair "cleaned their syringes in the gallon bottle of water located on the kitchen table." Again, Anderson referred to the jug of water as "baby water."
The baby's mother said she had used the 'baby water' on the kitchen table to make a bottle" for the baby May 6.
Anderson is due back in court June 19.
Topics: Baby, drug, overdose, syringes, water
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