Paterson NJ law enforcement is investigating the parents of a three-year-old child who allegedly tested positive for marijuana at a local hospital.
According to authorities, the child was taken to St. Joseph s Regional Medical Center in Paterson New Jersey around 3:00 a.m. to be checked out by doctors. Doctors at the Paterson hospital performed tests on the child and determined that the kid had come into contact with marijuana. Hospital officials then contacted Paterson police and alerted them to the situation.
Detectives with both the Paterson Police Department and the Passaic County Prosecutor s Office are currently investigating the possible child abuse case. At this time, Paterson prosecutors have not indicated if the three-year-old kid had merely inhaled the marijuana while it was smoked by someone else or if the child actually ingested the marijuana.
Child welfare officials with NJ child protective services and the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P), formerly known as the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS), are also looking into the matter. Depending on the findings of their investigation, it is possible that the parents of the child could lose custody.
Additionally, depending on what investigators find, the parents or guardians of the kid could face drug crime charges.
To learn more about this case, check out the NJ.com article, “Police Investigate After Child, 3, Tests Positive for Marijuana.”
