POLICE: Babysitter Charged After 2-Month-Old Nearly Dies From Ingesting Methadone While in her Care

RACINE -- A 33-year-old Kenosha woman faces criminal charges after police say the 2-month-old baby she was watching nearly died from a methadone overdose while in her care.

Jamie L. White faces felony charges of 1st-Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety,
Manufacture/Deliver Non-Narcotics, and misdemeanor charges of Possession of Illegally Obtained Prescription, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of THC.

If convicted on the felony charges, White faces up to 10-and-a-half years behind bars or up to $35,000 in fines, or both if she is convicted.

White is currently being held in the Racine County Jail on a $10,000 cash bond.

According to her criminal complaint, the two-month-old infant Jamie L. White watched for approximately four hours in January, went into cardiac arrest and was transported to Children's Hospital via Wisconsin Flight for Life after the infant's parents noticed he was "not behaving like his normal self" after picking him up after work.

According to the criminal complaint, White did not give the infant the bottle that was sent with him by his parents because she felt the bottle looked dirty. She, instead, mixed a new bottle for the infant, who reportedly took in two ounces of fluid, the complaint said.

Police say the baby was submitted for a toxicology screen, at which point the baby tested positive for methadone level of 97 ng/mL, which according to hospital officials is within the fatal level for infants.

A pediatrician who investigated the infant stated the onset symptoms for methadone ingestion in infants would have been within 30-40 minutes of exposure and peak resspirator depression within two hours, the complaint said. Police said they observed that the baby was left in the care of White at the time of his exposure to methadone.

According to her complaint, police conducted a search of White's residence in Febraury and discovered a small amount of marijuana and several bottles - including a bottle of children's cold medicine with an "X" drawn on its face. When authorities investigated, they learned that several bottles contained methadone.

When police questioned White, she told them she was saving multiple doses of methadone she receives at the methadone clinic to be taken on Sundays in case she is unable to make it to the clinic, the complaint said.

Police also found other Schedule II controlled substances that she did not have a valid prescription for, in addition to drug paraphernalia that is used in the processing and injection of heroin, the complaint said.