NEW CASTLE, IN — A New Castle man faces a felony charge after his 3-year-old daughter reportedly consumed a THC gummy she found in her home.
Timothy Hammons, 29, is charged in Henry Circuit Court 2 with neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury, a Level 5 felony carrying up to six years in prison.
According to an affidavit, the child on Feb. 5 “went stiff and her eyes rolled in the back of her head” after consuming the gummy. THC is a psychoactive compound most frequently tied to marijuana.
The girl’s mother said she took the girl to Henry County Hospital after finding her “floppy” and unresponsive after being left in the care of Hammons, according to the court document.
While they were at the New Castle hospital, the girl’s mother received a call from Hammons, who reportedly said he believed their daughter had consumed a gummy taken from a bedroom dresser.
The child was later transferred to Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis. The girl tested positive for cannabis in her system. In the wake of her arrival, officials there said her condition “acutely impairs one or more vital organ systems such that there is a high probability of imminent or life-threatening deterioration.”
According to a New Castle police detective, Hammons said he wasn’t certain how many gummies the child might have ingested. He said she likely found the gummies while he was outside smoking.
The child’s mother said Hammons is the father of four of her five children but doesn’t live at her home full time. She said she was unaware he had brought gummies into her residence.
Hammons — released from the Henry County Jail after posting a $7,500 surety bond and $750 cash bond — has received a Sept. 14 trial date.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: New Castle dad charged after 3-year-old girl consumes THC gummies
Reporting by Douglas Walker, Muncie Star Press / Muncie Star Press
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