A 28-year-old Florida mother, Cheyenne Pope, was arrested last week after her infant son tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl and required hospitalization. Pope faces one count of child neglect resulting in great bodily harm, according to court records.
The incident came to light on September 19, when deputies from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office were notified by the University of Florida Health Hospital following a suspected case of child neglect. The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) reported that the infant appeared lethargic and subsequent tests revealed the presence of both fentanyl and cocaine in his system.
During initial questioning, Pope admitted to using drugs and suggested that a “personal amount of narcotics” in her bag may have accidentally fallen onto her child’s play mat. She claimed the infant had been on the play mat for approximately 20 minutes and that his lethargy was due to dehydration.
However, investigators noted conflicting accounts: a woman living with Pope stated that Pope admitted to using drugs that day and said an “empty drug bag fell out of the backpack” while retrieving items. Pope’s sister reportedly told authorities that Pope had been using drugs over the past two months, including earlier on the day her son was hospitalized.
In a post-Miranda interview, Pope further explained that she had stored the infant’s bottles and diapers in the same backpack as the drugs.
The infant was transported by ambulance and remained in stable condition, though his vital signs had not fully returned to normal. Naloxone was not administered.
Pope is currently being held at the Duval County Jail on $50,000 bond and is scheduled for arraignment on October 14.
Leave a Reply