A 4-year-old Delaware girl took 249 bags of heroin to day care with her and started handing it out, assuming it was candy. Now, her mother has been arrested, USA Today reported on Tuesday.
None of the packets were opened by the children, but several were evaluated at a local hospital as a precautionary measure. All the kids were later released and in good health.
Ashley R. Tull, 30, was charged with maintaining a drug property and three counts of child endangering, but was let go on $6,000 bail. The three counts of child endangering were for the 4-year-old and two other children - a 9-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl - who live in the home with Tull.
Tull was not charged for possession of the drugs or as a suspected dealer, even though police say the child was found with roughly 3.7 grams of heroin, enough to levy a felony possession charge again Tull.
Police do not yet know who the heroin belongs to and have said that an investigation is ongoing.
Emergency personnel were called to the Hickory Tree Child Care Center at 11:45 a.m. after staff noticed small bags of white powder in the hands of children. The bags were immediately confiscated by teachers.
The packets later tested positive as heroin at the Selbyville Police Department, Deleware online reported.
The young girl took heroin to school accidentally after the family dog ruined her backpack overnight and she was given a different backpack to take to school. When the girl found the bags, she thought they were candy to share with the other children.
A relative is taking care of the three children after they were removed from Tull's home and police have ordered her to have no contact with them.
Police has said that the child care center will most likely not be in any trouble for what happened.
