An Arizona woman was taken into custody after her toddler tested positive for methamphetamine and fentanyl. Christina Culp, the child’s mother, reportedly told authorities that the child’s father was at work when the toddler accidentally came into contact with the illicit substances at their Tucson residence.
Culp discovered her child outside, lips blue and struggling for breath, after waking from a nap. Emergency medical personnel administered two doses of Narcan, a medication used to counteract the effects of opioid overdose, first in the ambulance and then at the hospital where Culp was subsequently arrested.
According to court documents,ulp confessed to using both fentanyl and methamphetamines at around 3 a.m. while her two children, a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old, and their father were asleep in the house. Culp reportedly stored the drugs in an outdoor toolbox, but also admitted to keeping some in her purse alongside her makeup. The toddler was found with makeup on her face, suggesting she may have been exposed to the drugs while playing with her mother’s cosmetics.
Jeff Mattson, a local business owner located across the street from Culp’s residence, expressed his shock and disgust to KVOA-TV. Another neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, voiced concerns about the need for drug users to take responsibility, especially when children are involved, and the broader issue of drug misuse in the community.
Culp is currently being held in Pima County Jail on a $75,000 bond, facing two charges of child abuse. Her children have been placed in state custody. This incident echoes a similar case in New York in May, where a couple was arrested following the death of their 16-month-old child due to fentanyl exposure. In that case, another individual was charged for selling the fentanyl to the parents, and the child’s grandmother was accused of smoking crack cocaine in the child’s presence.