A 1-year-old girl was given six shots of vodka while in the care of her mother and aunt, leading to the two women being charged with endangering a child.
ABC News reported that the toddler was rushed to a Houston hospital on February 8 after being dropped off at her father's home. Her father called authorities after reportedly noticing his daughter's eyes rolling into the back of her head.
According to court documents, when authorities arrived the little girl smelled of alcohol and was unresponsive, moaning and vomiting. Medical officials said the child was suffering from alcohol poisoning and had a blood alcohol content of 0.268, which is reportedly three times the legal limit for an adult.
The child's mother, 17-year-old Shadreon Jefferson, told police she was asleep when the incident occurred and that the victim's aunt, 24-year-old Shamara Batiste, was the one who gave the child the vodka. Batiste admitted that the child drank about six shots. Both women were charged with felony child endangerment, according to ABC News.
The Houston Chronicle reported that on Wednesday, State District Judge Ryan Patrick signed a protective order, which will keep both women away from the child after Jefferson was arraigned. After spending four days in the hospital, the child is in the care of her maternal grandmother.
"I see them every day and the baby is good, know what I'm saying?" neighbor Dante Montgomery told KHOU. "Taken care of, they always feed and take care of them. If they did give [her] vodka, they deserve the punishment they're getting, but like I say, I can't believe that they did it."
