Mom Ran 'Flop House,' Deputies Say

A 47-year-old Sarasota mom faces child neglect charges after her teenage son overdosed on heroin.

According to a Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, the case against Cynthia Hyer began to unfold July 3 when deputies and EMS responded to an unconscious male call at her Mauna Loa Boulevard home. When they arrived, first responders found Hyer’s 15-year-old son suffering from the effects of a heroin overdose.

The teen, the report stated, was taken to Doctor’s Hospital and did recover from the incident.

Deputies, however, pressed for more details about events that led to the overdose.

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On July 9, they interviewed Hyer again.

During the course of that interview, “Cynthia admitted that her residence was a ‘flop house’ where numerous individuals come to use drugs,” the report said. She went on to admit that two women who frequented her house took her son with them to buy heroin in Bradenton, the report said. Hyer also expressed knowledge that her son drank and was using her prescription drugs, deputies noted.

“Cynthia admitted that she knew that (her son) was abusing drugs and alcohol but made no effort to get him help,” the report stated.

School records also revealed troubles for the teen. He had 91 absences in the 2014-15 school year, the reported noted. Those were logged out of a total of 180 days of school.

Deputies concluded that Hyer failed to protect her son and provide proper care and supervision to protect him “from drug abuse, which culminated with his overdose on heroin and near death.”

Hyer was booked into the Sarasota County Jail Wednesday. She remained in custody Thursday in lieu of $50,000 bond, jail records indicate.

Booking photo courtesy of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office