Grandmother arrested after baby tests positive for fentanyl in Tigard
TIGARD Ore. (KPTV) - A grandmother is facing several charges after exposing her 10-month-old granddaughter to fentanyl after she passed out in a parked car due to her own fentanyl use.
A Tigard police officer was patrolling the Tigard Plaza Shopping Center and saw an unlicensed Jeep parked and running on Friday at about 10:35 p.m.
The officer says the driver, later identified as Julia Apostello, 53, of Portland, was passed out behind the wheel and drug paraphernalia was out in plain view. A 10-month-old was in the back seat sitting in a car seat.
Apostello was arrested after being woken up by the officer.
Officers learned that Apostello is the baby’s grandmother.
The baby’s mother who was inside a nearby business with her 4-year-old child at the time, was contacted by officers. She returned to the Jeep and told officers she had been gone for roughly half an hour.
The 10-month-old was taken to the hospital due to concern for her safety and potential exposure to drugs. Medical personnel confirmed the child tested positive for fentanyl and she was treated at the hospital.
Tigard police said the child was released from officer supervision over the weekend, and they believe she is doing okay.
Apostello was lodged in Washington County Jail on charges of criminal mistreatment, two counts of child neglect, endangering the welfare of a minor, two counts of criminal mistreatment, and recklessly endangering.
Officers removed the substance from the Jeep and it was identified as fentanyl.
“To believe a 10-month-old is around a drug like that is outrageous,” said Nick Haywood, who works in the plaza. “It’s one of the deadliest drugs out there and it doesn’t take a lot to kill someone.”
He said while a police presence in the plaza is common, he was shocked to hear about police accusing a young girl’s grandmother of exposing her young 10-month-old granddaughter to fentanyl.
“It’s so easy to get these days that stuff like that will happen,” said Haywood.
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