A Nevada mother has been sentenced to prison for poisoning her 1-year-old son by administering unprescribed medication. According to court documents, Alesha Martin, 25, from Reno, mixed the medication into her child’s milk or yogurt.

This week, Martin received a 10-year prison sentence, with the possibility of parole after four years. The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office reported her conviction for willfully poisoning or adulterating food, water, or medicine.

The young boy experienced several unexplained medical crises, necessitating hospital visits in both Nevada and Utah, which triggered a criminal investigation. Toxicology reports revealed the presence of an unprescribed drug in his system, according to police.

The child’s grandfather informed authorities that he suspected Martin had poisoned her son on multiple occasions. These allegations were included in the charging documents obtained by Utah’s ABC affiliate, KSL.

In June 2025, Martin was arrested and questioned regarding the allegations. During the interview, she confessed to giving her son clonidine pills, a medication generally prescribed for high blood pressure and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as stated by the Mayo Clinic.

“She ‘kept doing it,’” Martin’s charging documents said, citing her interview with police, according to KSL.

“Martin said that on at least four occasions, she administered the prescription to (her son),” the documents said. “Martin then admitted that while (her toddler) was in Utah, she administered the clonidine to (him) on May 14 and again on May 21 while (the boy) was in the hospital.”

Martin claimed that she had been “dosing her son” every six to seven days, according to police. She alleged that she spaced out the dosing so she would “not hurt” him.

‘[Martin] crushed up the pills and mixed them with milk in his sippy cup or yogurt,” the charging documents said, noting how Martin’s son was transported by medical helicopter to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 14, 2025.

“While the victim was in the hospital, the defendant admitted that on two occasions, she administered clonidine to him,” the documents said.

Just one day after his release from the hospital on May 27, 2025, Martin “administered another dose” of clonidine “which landed the victim back in the hospital,” according to police.

“Martin ultimately confessed to administering the medication, acknowledging that her actions caused repeated medical crises that placed the child’s life in danger,” the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday.

Martin was charged in Nevada with four counts of willfully poisoning food, drinks, water or medicine and one count of child abuse. She pleaded guilty to willfully poisoning and was sentenced Tuesday in Reno Township Justice Court.

“The detectives’ efforts in this case were critical to bringing the investigation to a successful conclusion,” said Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam in a statement. “I want to thank the medical professionals, child welfare partners, and prosecutors whose coordinated efforts helped ensure the child’s safety and accountability in this case.”