Mom arrested for toddler's meth use

KOKOMO, Ind. (KOKOMO TRIBUNE) - Kokomo police on Wednesday arrested a mother charged with neglecting her 2-year-old daughter who drank from a cup containing methamphetamine.

Officers picked up Heather M. Roe, 25, in the 800 block of East Sycamore Street after police received a tip the woman was visiting the residence, Lt. Don Whitehead said.

Roe was taken into custody around 1 p.m. without incident.

Roe faces a felony neglect charge after her daughter tested positive for meth. The child drank from a cup containing meth at a residence Roe was visiting, according to police reports.

A warrant was issued Friday out of Howard Circuit Court charging her with Class C felony neglect. If convicted, she could face up to eight years in prison.

Roe also has a D felony illegal possession of anhydrous ammonia, an ingredient used in the manufacture of meth, pending in Howard Superior Court 1. The charge stemmed from a 2008 arrest.

The felony neglect charge alleges Roe placed her daughter in a situation that endangered her life by having meth in her presence.

Kokomo police began the investigation in December when officers were called to a residence in the 1700 block of North Market Street on a welfare check of a 2-year-old girl, according to court documents.

While there, the report states, police noticed marks on the child's face and began questioning Roe.

Officers also said Roe grabbed a disposable coffee cup with a filter inside and told police her daughter tried to drink from it. She said she believed the cup contained methamphetamine.

Police then took the child to the emergency room, where she tested positive for meth, according to police reports.

Roe is being held on a $15,000 bail at the Howard County jail pending her arraignment.

The child is now in the custody of Child Protection Services.

From WISH-TV news gathering partner Kokomo Tribune .