Stepmother Slips Nail Polish Remover Into Toddler's Bottle: Prosecutors

CAROL STREAM, IL - A 36-year-old Carol Stream woman has been arrested for allegedly sneaking nail polish remover into the bottle of her 17-month-old stepdaughter on Saturday, DuPage County prosecutors said Tuesday.

Andrea Vazquez-Hernandez, of 661 Hearth Lane, is being held at the DuPage County Jail on a $250,000 bond following her arrest over the weekend. She is charged with aggravated battery, a class 3 felony, and domestic battery, a class misdemeanor.

The charges stem from a call made by the victim’s father during the evening hours of May 29 regarding a child who may have ingested nail polish remover, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office press release.

Upon their arrival to Vazquez-Hernandez’s home, officers spoke to the father who told police that when he attempted to give his 17-month-old daughter a bottle of milk earlier that evening, the child immediately spit out the contents of the bottle, according to the news release.

The victim’s father immediately brought the girl to the hospital. All tests performed on the child at the hospital came back normal and the child was released. An investigation into the matter revealed that at some point earlier that day, the victim’s stepmother allegedly added approximately one inch of nail polish remover to the baby bottle, according to the news release.

“The allegations against this defendant are extremely disturbing,” said DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin. “Thankfully, the young victim in this case did not ingest any of the nail polish remover allegedly supplied by her stepmother.” Vazquez-Hernandez’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 27. If convicted of the most serious charge, Vazquez-Hernandez could face up to five years in prison.

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