NEED TO KNOW
- A Florida grandmother became concerned when she picked up her baby grandson from his babysitter’s house and he seemed more tired than usual, authorities said
- The boy’s mother rushed him to the ER when he began throwing up a clear, sticky liquid and couldn’t keep his head upright, a probable cause affidavit alleges
- His babysitter is accused of poisoning him with antifreeze
A Florida woman is facing criminal charges after being accused of poisoning an 11-month-old with antifreeze while babysitting.
In early October, Anna Adamo, 59, of Okeechobee, Fla., was arrested in Georgia and extradited back to Florida where she was charged on Oct. 11 with first-degree attempted murder, aggravated child abuse – aggravated battery, and poison food, water, medicine w/intent to kill or injure, according to online court records.
The charges stem from Feb. 12, when Adamo was accused of poisoning an 11-month-old boy in her care who was presented to her at 9:30 a.m. in “perfect health” but later found “suffering from the effects of Ethylene Glycol (antifreeze) poisoning, as diagnosed by doctors,” a probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE alleges.
As a result of the alleged poisoning, the child required CPR and life support and was sent to three different hospitals, according to the affidavit.
“The amount of damage to the child’s renal system is yet to be determined,” the affidavit states.
Adamo told police the child was never in contact with any other adult, was never out of her sight and that she didn’t take him into the garage where the family’s antifreeze was stored, it says.
The alleged crime came to light that afternoon when the child’s grandmother noticed that the boy was more tired than usual when she picked him up from Adamo’s house, where Adamo was babysitting the boy, the affidavit says.
Later, the boy’s mother noted that he was unable to hold his head up and seemed lethargic and “floppy,” saying something “didn’t seem right,” it alleges.
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She became alarmed when he began throwing up “a clear, sticky, odd-smelling” vomit and took him to a local ER.
He was later taken to another hospital where he had a full cardiac arrest, the affidavit states.
On Wed., Oct. 15, Adamo was released from jail on a $600,000 bond, according to online court records.
It is unclear whether she has retained an attorney who can speak on her behalf.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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