WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - A woman has been arrested after a 2-year-old child in her care tested positive for "chronic" use of methamphetamine.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant Wednesday, charging 20-year-old Kaitlyn Ecker with child abuse, and arrested her the same day. She was booked into the Wakulla County Jail.
On January 12, 2018, detectives at the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office started a child abuse investigation after it was alleged that Ecker had involved a 2-year-old child in methamphetamine and marijuana use inside her home.
Multiple witnesses were interviewed who stated that the 2-year-old child smoked marijuana with Ecker and that people “joked” about the child’s ability to “roll joints” for her.
Multiple witnesses say Ecker kept drugs inside the home, and had heard Ecker allowed the 2-year-old child to smoke meth with a pipe. They also alleged that Ecker used meth herself.
On January 19, 2018, detectives executed a search warrant at Ecker’s residence, located on Card Lane in Crawfordville. During the search, they found two glass pipes (the type used to smoke meth), a plastic pill bottle converted into a handmade smoking device with burned residue; two grinders (the type consistent with marijuana usage), one of which had marijuana inside; a digital scale; and a small plastic bag containing marijuana residue inside a basket full of children's toys.
Ecker was placed under arrest for possession of marijuana (less than 20 grams) and possession of drug paraphernalia on that date.
With the assistance of Wakulla County Emergency Medical Service personnel, detectives collected a blood sample and hair sample from Ecker and the 2-year-old child. The blood and hair samples were forwarded to a lab to determine the drug history of Ecker and the 2-year-old child.
On March 15, 2018, detectives say the toxicology results concluded that the 2-year-old tested positive for both meth and amphetamine and the findings were “chronic” rather than “acute.”
They say "acute" findings would have indicated "a one-time exposure or within a couple of hours before the sample was collected." “Chronic" indicated that the 2-year-old was exposed "several times or on one or more occasions."
During a custodial interrogation, Ecker told detectives she shared her bedroom with the 2-year-old child. She admitted to smoking marijuana as recently as the night before, but away from the child.
Ecker denied ownership of the glass pipes located in her bedroom, but admitted to smoking methamphetamine approximately four months before. She also denied ever smoking or ingesting drugs in the presence of the 2-year-old and denied any knowledge of the child being exposed to drugs.
It is unclear if Ecker is the child's mother.
Detectives also obtained arrest warrants charging Ecker with lewd and lascivious battery and transmission of harmful material to a minor from an unrelated investigation.
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