A Grand Island woman has been arrested following an investigation into a medical emergency involving her infant child at a Hastings hospital.
According to the Hastings Police Department, 25-year-old Alicen Cote Perez was taken into custody Saturday on a charge of felony child abuse after doctors discovered amphetamines in the system of her 4-month-old child.
Police were first called to Mary Lanning Healthcare on Friday, April 17, after receiving a referral from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Authorities say the infant had been brought to the emergency room after experiencing seizures. During routine testing while treating the child, medical staff detected amphetamines in the baby’s system.
The infant was admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit for treatment.
During the investigation, officers learned that Grand Island police had also been asked to conduct a welfare check earlier that day involving another child connected to the case, but officers were unable to make contact at that time.
Authorities say the mother had left the hospital after the infant was admitted, taking her other child to meet with the child’s biological father. A Hastings police detective assumed responsibility for the investigation the following morning.
Medical personnel told investigators there was no known medical condition that could explain the presence of amphetamines in the infant’s system and warned that exposure to the substance could cause serious harm to a child of that age.
Police reported that Cote Perez later returned to the hospital on Saturday, where she was interviewed by detectives and then placed under arrest.
Officials also stated there are currently no safety concerns regarding the second child, who is now in the custody of the father in Omaha.
Comments