Boy, 8, dies 'after mistaking dad's meth for cereal'
An eight-year-old boy has died after mistaking his father’s stash of methamphetamines for cereal.
On the morning of June 21, Curtis Collman III was visiting his father in Seymour, Indiana, US when he accidentally consumed a large quantity of methamphetamine.
The 41-year-old father, Curtis G Collman II, told police that his son woke him up in the morning asking for food. However, he told the child that he had no food and went back to sleep.
During this time, the hungry child consumed a large quantity of methamphetamine which had been left on a clear plate in the kitchen.
Local outlet WDRB reported that court documents stated that “a clear glass plate was located in the kitchen area” with a “brownish in color, crystal-like substance” on it.
WDRB reported that police said that “one officer commented the brown crystal on the plate could have been mistaken for cereal crumbs with no lights in the apartment”.
When Mr Collman woke up again, he noticed his son was falling ill and called a female friend for help. Upon arrival, she urged Mr Collman to call 911.
However, Mr Collman refused to call for help, snatched the woman’s phone and pointed a gun at her, threatening to kill all three people according to local news outlet WAVE TV.
A police toxicology report released on Thursday showed that the boy had 180 times the lethal limit of methamphetamine in his bloodstream when he died on June 21, according to the Seymour Tribune.
Following this, Mr Collman drove the boy to his mother, who was living with the child’s grandparents in Crothersville, Indiana where police officers, emergency medical services and volunteer firefighters attended.
The unresponsive child was given medical care and taken to Schneck Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
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According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s department, Mr Collman was arrested later that evening and charged with “Neglect of a Dependent resulting in the death of the dependent, Intimidation pointing a firearm at a person, and possession of methamphetamine”.
In addition, the sheriff’s department said that Mr Collman was a registered sex offender who has failed to maintain his sex offender registration obligations. He was also charged with failure to register as a sex offender.
The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be filed against Mr Collman, said the sheriff’s department.
