Felony Charge Filed After 1-Year-Old Tests Positive for Cocaine
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A woman is facing a felony charge after authorities say her one-year-old child tested positive for cocaine.
Investigators say the boy tested positive for the drug after staying with his mother at a hotel in Coon Rapids in the days leading up to the hospital visit.
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Hailey Marie Iseri, 23, of Coon Rapids, has been charged with neglect of a child resulting in substantial harm to the child’s physical, mental or emotional health.
According to the criminal complaint, police in Coon Rapids and Blaine began investigating Jan. 27 after medical staff at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis reported a one-year-old child’s blood toxicology results showed the presence of cocaine. Court records state the child had been under Iseri’s care and supervision during the week prior to the positive test while the two were living at a hotel along Coon Rapids Boulevard.
Investigators say Iseri brought her child to Children’s Hospital around 2:00 a.m. on Jan. 25, telling medical staff he was “unconsolable, would not sleep, and was crying as though he was in pain.” After learning about the cocaine results, authorities allege Iseri threw away baby bottles in an emergency room garbage can and said she was going home to clean her hotel room. The complaint states she left the hospital around noon that day, leaving the child in the care of another person.
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During a police interview the next day, investigators say Iseri struggled to recall the timeline leading up to the hospital visit and gave inconsistent statements about how long the child had been in her care. Authorities said evidence showed she had been caring for the child within three days of the incident.
Prosecutors charged Iseri with felony neglect for willfully failing to provide supervision or care appropriate to the child’s age despite being reasonably able to do so, resulting in substantial harm. The charge carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 if convicted.
Authorities have not released additional information about the child’s current condition.
