PCP, Xanax Found in Toddler's System; Germantown Father Charged

GERMANTOWN, MD — A Germantown father faces child neglect charges after he allegedly left PCP and the prescription anti-anxiety drug Xanax within reach of his young daughter, who was rushed to the hospital after she stopped breathing.

Montgomery County Police have charged Jayson Hall, 38, of the 13600 block of Demetrius Way in Germantown, with child neglect and the reckless endangerment of his 20-month-old daughter.

On Wednesday night, detectives were told by medical personnel at Adventist Healthcare Shady Grove Medical Center in Rockville that the little girl was brought to the hospital in serious condition after she became unresponsive at home. A blood test done at the hospital showed PCP and Xanax were in the child’s system.

The toddler’s mother told police she was at work when her 13-year-old son called her to say that the child was unresponsive. The mother came home immediately and found that her daughter was not breathing. While a neighbor performed CPR on the girl, her mother called 9-1-1. Hall was home during this time, police say.

The mother said that before she left for work, she noticed a bottle of pills sitting on a coffee table and asked Hall to move the pills so their daughter would not have access to them. The toddler was left in Hall’s care while her mother, believing he would move the pill bottle, went to work.

Hall was arrested and taken to the Central Processing Unit, where he was charged with neglect of a minor, reckless endangerment, and contributing to a condition which rendered the victim in need of supervision. Hall was released after posting a $10,000 bond.

»Photo of Jayson Hall, courtesy of Montgomery County Police