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Background: The Alachua County Sheriff”s Office in Gainesville, Fla. (Google Maps). Inset: Jalyn Brownworth (Alachua County Sheriff’s Office).
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office detailed the events in a Facebook post, indicating that Brownworth was taken into custody on April 9. The arrest followed a hospital visit where medical staff detected signs that the baby had been exposed to drugs, prompting them to alert the Department of Children and Families. This initiated an in-depth investigation into the disturbing circumstances.
Brownworth initially brought her child to the hospital due to concerning behavioral changes she observed in the infant. However, upon examination, healthcare providers suspected the presence of an illicit substance in the child’s system. Their suspicions were confirmed when tests revealed that the infant had methamphetamine in their system.
Further investigation uncovered a distressing detail: Brownworth had prepared her child’s formula using water tainted with methamphetamine. Alarmingly, this water had been used to clean hypodermic needles previously used for injecting the drug, leading to the infant’s unintentional exposure.
Police said that medical staff determined that the baby tested positive for methamphetamine. The investigation revealed that Brownworth fed her baby formula that she made with water that was contaminated. The water, police said, had previously been used to clean hypodermic needles that were used to inject methamphetamine.
According to police, the baby was reported to be in stable condition and recovering. Authorities did not provide details on who has custody. Online court records showed that Brownworth was ordered not to make contact with the baby upon her release from jail.
Brownworth was arrested and charged with child neglect with no bodily harm. She is currently in custody at the Alachua County Jail, where she is being held on $20,000 bond, according to reporting by local ABC affiliate WCJB. Her next court date was not immediately available.