Carson City mom faces felony child abuse charges after ER finds meth in infant's system

Submitted by editor on Sun, 07/11/2010 - 11:33pm

A Carson City woman who told authorities she had smoked methamphetamine and then fell asleep next to her infant daughter faces felony child abuse charges after the baby tested positive for the drug.
Charlene Marie Benitez, 22, is being held at the Carson City Jail on $50,000 bond after being arrested early Saturday morning. Charges include felony child endangerment and abuse that caused the infant physical or mental harm. The condition of the infant is unknown at this time.
Subsequent portions of the investigation report appear to be withheld.

What was released is as follows: On Friday at 11:45 p.m. a Carson City Sheriff's Office deputy was dispatched to Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center after learning that a one-year-old infant was admitted into the emergency room and, subsequently, tested positive for methamphetamine.
During an interview with authorities, Benitez stated that she had invited a male friend to her home in the 300 block of 9th Street earlier that night to "get high." She told authorities that while she smoked the narcotics her daughter was asleep in a separate part of the home. The woman stated after she smoked the narcotics, she laid down next to her daughter to take a nap, according to the arrest report.
Benitez stated that after she woke from the nap she took a shower and that her daughter was awake in the living room of the home, according to the arrest report. After the shower she told authorities that she observed her daughter acting "weird."
After a couple of hours Benitez then took her daughter to the emergency room. Once at the emergency room, medical staff performed a test on the infant and learned she had methamphetamine in her system, the report stated.
The officer concluded the investigation, arrested the woman on the felony charges and took her to jail without incident.

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