11-month-old tests positive for cocaine, Wisconsin cops say. Day care teacher arrested
A day care worker has been arrested in connection to a baby who tested positive for cocaine, Wisconsin police said.
Oak Creek police received a call from the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin on May 15 about a possible case of child abuse, according to a May 28 news release from the department.
The child’s parents brought their son to the hospital after noticing he was covered in scratches and bruises, according to police and TMJ4.
The hospital performed a urine test as part of the boy’s exam, which came back positive for “cocaine metabolites,” police said.
The boy was 11 months old at the time of the incident and has since turned one, according to WISN.
Oak Creek’s K-9 unit performed an “open-air sniff” on May 22 of the child’s day care premises, identified as KinderCare in court records, and found cocaine in an employee’s backpack left on the floor of the facility’s infant room, police said.
A 24-year-old teacher was arrested on a charge of possession of cocaine and booked at the Milwaukee County Jail Facility, according to police and court records.
McClatchy News was unable to locate contact information for the woman’s attorney.
“Nothing is more important to us than the safety of the children in our care,” a KinderCare spokesperson told McClatchy News on May 29.
“We work hard to create healthy spaces for work, play and learning. Drugs, alcohol and tobacco are prohibited in our centers and programs. In addition, all of our teachers and staff must complete a state and federal background check as a condition of hiring,” the spokesperson said.
The teacher is no longer employed by KinderCare, a spokesperson said.
Charges of neglect of a child and possession of a controlled substance on or near certain places were referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office, the department said.
Police said the investigation is ongoing.
Oak Creek is about a 12-mile drive south from Milwaukee.
This story was originally published May 29, 2024 at 12:27 PM with the headline "11-month-old tests positive for cocaine, Wisconsin cops say. Day care teacher arrested."
