Medics Save Baby Who Ingested Opioids, Parents Arrested: Report

LOTHIAN, MD — Medics saved a Lothian baby after he ingested opioids, police announced Thursday. Officers then arrested his parents, an incident report added.

The write-up informed that the emergency happened near Jaguar Drive on Nov. 12. The Anne Arundel County Fire Department found the 10-month-old, who was barely breathing and was becoming unresponsive, the report noted.

Medics suspected that the baby ingested opioids, police said. The briefing explained that fire personnel gave the infant two doses of Narcan, which is a brand of an overdose-reversing medicine called naloxone.

The medication helped the child slightly, but officers reported that he still had to go to the hospital. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Police indicated that both the baby's parents, 38-year-old Matthew Eric Joiner Sr. and 23-year-old Shelby Renee Butler, were on the scene. After an investigation with the Anne Arundel County State's Attorney's office, the Anne Arundel County Police Department charged both parents with child neglect and reckless endangerment, the press release concluded.

The report did not elaborate on how the infant got a hold of the opioids, what kind it was, who they belonged to or whether they were legal.

Anne Arundel County has tools to help those battling addiction. Uninsured and insured residents can call the Treatment Referral and Resource Line at (410) 222-0117 on weekdays.

The Anne Arundel County Adult Addictions program also operates two Opiate Addiction Treatment Centers. The north county facility is reachable at (410) 222-0100. The south county site is available at (410) 222-6001. For more resources, head to denialisdeadly.org.

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