3-Year-Old Eats Meth, Ga. Couple Arrested: Police

GAINESVILLE, GA — A Hall County couple is in jail after the woman's 3-year-old baby ate methamphetamine while in their house, authorities say.

Joshua James Starley, 31, and Brenda Chadale Jones, 28, both of Gainesville, face felony charges of cruelty to children. They were arrested at their home on High View Court, according to Hall County Sheriff's Office spokesman Lt. Scott Ware.

According to the sheriff's office, Jones and Starley, who is her boyfriend, acted with criminal negligence on July 23 when they allowed the toddler to ingest meth that they had left unsecured. A statement from the sheriff's office did not detail how badly the child was harmed, but said "medical attention was ultimately required for the child."

Eating the drug caused "excessive physical and mental pain to a minor child," according to the sheriff's office statement.

The incident was investigated by the sheriff's office and Hall County Department of Family and Children Services. Starley and Jones were booked at the Hall County Jail and the case remains under investigation, Ware said.

Like the Cumming Patch on Facebook to get more stories like this in your News Feed.

Main photo via Shutterstock. Booking photos courtesy Hall County Sheriff's Office