An Oregon father is facing multiple charges after allegedly drugging his daughter’s friends with sedative-laced smoothies during a sleepover, according to local law enforcement. The incident occurred in Lake Oswego, a city located just south of Portland, and involved three 12-year-old girls.
One of the girls sent a distressing text message to her mother around 1:45 a.m., expressing her fear and asking to be picked up from the house. The text message indicated that she was losing consciousness and felt unsafe, pleading for her mother to come and get her, according to police reports.
The accused, 57-year-old Michael Meyden, surrendered himself to the Clackamas County Jail on Wednesday. His surrender followed a grand jury indictment that charged him with several felonies and misdemeanors related to the events of the August 26, 2023 sleepover, as reported by the Lake Oswego police. The police have not yet disclosed any potential motives for Meyden’s actions.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Oregon Live, Meyden allegedly spiked mango smoothies with benzodiazepine, a depressant that slows the nervous system, and served them to his daughter’s friends. The girls reported that they had been watching movies and doing facials before Meyden prepared the smoothies and insisted they drink them.
The affidavit also detailed that the smoothies contained “tiny white chunks throughout and sprinkled on top,” and Meyden continued to insist the girls drink them, even when one expressed her dislike for the drink. Meyden allegedly made several trips to the basement where the girls were sleeping, checking if they were asleep and even moving one girl’s body on the bed.
One of the girls described feeling “woozy, hot, and clumsy” after consuming the smoothie and subsequently blacked out, falling into a deep sleep unlike anything she had experienced before. The girls also reported that Meyden returned to the basement and stood near them for an extended period, seemingly checking if they were asleep.
After one girl was picked up by her parents, they alerted the other girls’ families, who arrived around 3 a.m. to take their children home. Meyden reportedly resisted letting the girls leave. The girls were later taken to the Randall Children’s Hospital emergency room, where they tested positive for an unknown prescription drug.
The girls were interviewed by police the following day, approximately nine to twelve hours after the alleged drugging. Police noted that one of the girls walked slowly, needed her mother’s assistance for balance, had heavy eyelids, and spoke slowly.
Court records indicate that Meyden and his wife divorced late last year but owned a home in Lake Oswego at the time of the sleepover. Meyden’s attorney, Mark Cogan, stated that he had not seen any evidence in the case and urged the public to reserve judgment until all facts are known.
Meyden pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Wednesday in Clackamas County Circuit Court. His bail was set at $50,000. He faces charges including causing another person to ingest a controlled substance and application of a controlled substance to the body of another person.