HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) A teenage babysitter has been charged with child neglect after allegedly admitting to giving a 4-year-old Xanax in an attempt to get the child to nap on New Year's Eve.
According to a police report obtained by WMBF News, the mother of the child told Horry County Police she had hired Olivia Rahne Smith, 17, of Carolina Shores, NC to babysit her daughter between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. at her home in Little River.
At 12:30 p.m., the mother received a text message from Smith stating that "something was wrong" with the child. The mother told police she called Smith, who informed her the child had fallen numerous times, had hit her head and was dizzy.
The mother immediately went home and said she found her daughter in "a state of potential unconsciousness" and took her to Seacoast Medical Center with Smith in tow.
While at the hospital, doctors performed blood work on the child and discovered Xanax in the child's system. According to the child's mother, the little girl was not taking any prescription medication and then launched her own investigation into the babysitter.
At that time, the child's mother said she searched Smith's purse and found five Xanax bars, which holds four sections of the drug each. The Xanax was said to have been prescribed to a family member of Smith's.
When confronted, Smith allegedly confessed to stealing the medication and intended to use it to "calm the [child] down so she would take a nap," according to the report.
Smith told the child's mother she removed just one of the four sections of the drug and put it in the child's spaghetti during lunch, the report said. The child took just one taste and spit it out, however, she was said to have had the reaction to the medication soon after.
After further investigation, Horry County officers arrested Smith and charged her with unlawful neglect of a child on Thursday.
Additionally, police instructed the child's mother to contact the family member the drugs were stolen from and have them file a police report in regards to the theft.
Smith remains incarcerated at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing.
According to a police report obtained by WMBF News, the mother of the child told Horry County Police she had hired Olivia Rahne Smith, 17, of Carolina Shores, NC to babysit her daughter between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. at her home in Little River.
At 12:30 p.m., the mother received a text message from Smith stating that "something was wrong" with the child. The mother told police she called Smith, who informed her the child had fallen numerous times, had hit her head and was dizzy.
The mother immediately went home and said she found her daughter in "a state of potential unconsciousness" and took her to Seacoast Medical Center with Smith in tow.
While at the hospital, doctors performed blood work on the child and discovered Xanax in the child's system. According to the child's mother, the little girl was not taking any prescription medication and then launched her own investigation into the babysitter.
At that time, the child's mother said she searched Smith's purse and found five Xanax bars, which holds four sections of the drug each. The Xanax was said to have been prescribed to a family member of Smith's.
When confronted, Smith allegedly confessed to stealing the medication and intended to use it to "calm the [child] down so she would take a nap," according to the report.
Smith told the child's mother she removed just one of the four sections of the drug and put it in the child's spaghetti during lunch, the report said. The child took just one taste and spit it out, however, she was said to have had the reaction to the medication soon after.
After further investigation, Horry County officers arrested Smith and charged her with unlawful neglect of a child on Thursday.
Additionally, police instructed the child's mother to contact the family member the drugs were stolen from and have them file a police report in regards to the theft.
Smith remains incarcerated at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing.