Seven children under the age of 8 have been hospitalized in Virginia after one of them handed out sleeping pills to the other kids.
via People:
According to WTVR-TV, authorities arrived at an apartment in Hopewell, Va., to find four children unresponsive. Three other children were found in a different room. They were awake but lethargic.
The children were all rushed to the hospital. Three of the kids were in serious condition, while the other four were in stable condition. Authorities say that all the children are expected to recover.
According to the Hopewell Police Department, the mom of three of the children had dropped them off at the home of the mother of the other four. The second mother was supposed to babysit all seven kids.
Shortly after 5 p.m. on Wednesday night, the second mother left the kids to run to the corner store, authorities say. When she returned home, she noticed the children “weren’t acting right,” police say.
When the woman noticed an empty prescription pill bottle, she called 911.
“They were left unsupervised for a short period of time, and one of the kids that has prescription medication got into it and shared with the other children,” Lt. Cheyenne Casale told WTVR.
According to WRIC-TV, the mother told the Hopewell PD that she informed a man who was in the home that she was leaving, but later admitted she may not have communicated clearly that he was expected to watch the kids.
Investigators have not confirmed if there was another man in the house at the time.
No charges have been filed, but PEOPLE confirms that the Hopewell Police Department and DCF are both investigating the case. According to WRIC-TV, the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office has also been alerted in case authorities decide to charge anyone involved.
So sad.
