Maryland Parents Charged After 10-Month-Old Boy Ingested Opioid In November 2020, Police Say
LOTHIAN, Md. (WJZ) — Parents of a 10-month-old boy in Anne Arundel County are charged after the child ingested some form of opioid causing him to become sick in November, police say.
On November 12, 2020, Anne Arundel County officers responded to an address in the area of Jaguar Drive in Lothian for a call about a sick or injured child. Anne Arundel Fire personnel were already there treating the 10-month-old boy.
Police learned the boy was having "severe difficulty" breathing as the child was becoming unresponsive. Fire then began giving medical care and life-saving measures.
They suspected the child had ingested some form of an opioid causing him to suffer from respiratory distress. They gave the child two doses of Narcan and he began to improve slightly medically. Naloxone, sold under the brand name Narcan among others, is a medication used to block the effects of opioids.
The child was taken to an area hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, police said.
His parents, 38-year-old Matthew Eric Joiner Sr. and 23-year-old Shelby Renee Butler, were both on the scene. They were both charged with child neglect and reckless endangerment.
The Anne Arundel County Police wants to remind its citizens there are many programs where individuals with opioid and other addictions can seek treatment thus eliminating such heartbreaking incidents as described above.
Anne Arundel County residents who need treatment for an addiction have a number of choices. Both uninsured and insured residents can contact the Anne Arundel County Treatment Referral and Resource Line at 410-222-0117 weekdays for information about certified treatment programs. Anne Arundel County Adult Addictions program operates two Opiate Addiction Treatment Centers, 410-222-0100 (North) and 410-222-6001 (South), that provide medication-assisted treatment.
For more information regarding treatment and recovery services in Anne Arundel County, visit denialisdeadly.org or https://aahealth.org/where-to-get-treatment/
