Neighbors Outraged After 18-Month Old Tests Positive For Cocaine

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Posted: 7:44 AM Sep 25, 2007
Last Updated: 1:59 PM Sep 25, 2007

49 comments

TODDLER TESTED POSITIVE FOR COCAINE

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A mother and aunt face serious charges this morning after Danville Police say a toddler ingested drugs.

The 18-month old's mother told police the child was stumbling and acting strangely. After running tests at the hospital, the boy tested positive for cocaine.

When police went to search the boy's home on Chestnut street, his aunt refused to let them inside the home.

His mother, 20-year old Ashley Carrier, and his aunt, 24-year old Jessica Coffman, were both charged with first degree assault and wanton endangerment.

The toddler is now at Kentucky Children's Hospital.

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: Laura Location: georgetown on Sep 29, 2007 at 02:51 AM
To family friend and Dee...where were you both while this was happening? Doing cocaine isn't a lets do it tonite thing. If your both so close to this family where were you while this child was being exposed to it?

Posted by: paul Location: lex on Sep 28, 2007 at 10:27 AM
whew.. as i read through all of these comments i couldn't help to think, why politicize this, and why trash Danville..Get a grip people.. I seriously doubt these women "gave" that baby cocaine. Leaving it where a kid could get to it is one thing, having it is another. If this kid would have gotten into a bottle of asprin, or chewable vitamins, we wouldn't be having this discussion. I just hope the mother and the aunt get help with their addictions, and that baby has a safe enviroment to grow up in..Let the courts pass judgement...Those of you debating abortion, and birth control are as bad as the person that says execute her..There's a witch burn her!!!

Posted by: Kim Location: MT.Sterling on Sep 27, 2007 at 07:08 PM
I pray the baby is doing fine. I just want to let people know that when a child is placed in someone elses custody they do a very thoughrow back ground check to make sure that the child is going into a home that will give the child everything the child needs. I know this for a fact. Because I have custody of three children who are my nieces and nephew, and they done a background check all the way to my elementary years. I'm glad they do, that way the children are very well taking care of. If you have anything, even a AI charge you cannot get custody. After 6 months I got full custody because the parents refused rehab. I'm glad they did because I wouldn't take the world for my babies.

Posted by: mel Location: lex on Sep 27, 2007 at 11:05 AM
Actually, Dee, these children who are being abused, neglected, and raised by who knows who are the same generation as my grandchildren and will grow up in their society, so it does become my concern. This is one of many, many kids that we're reading about who are being raised in households with absolutely no values or morals, and who are destined to follow the parental cycle and become drug addicted, teenage parents, and throw their children to other members of the family or the state. The chance of these kids who are abandoned by their parents, don't know their parents, live in drug ridden conditions and ingest narcotics or get beaten or abused by moms and/or boyfriends of moms, growing up to be normal, productive citizens is so slim. As far as comments go, if no one expressed their thoughts or opinions, there would be no postings, including yours.

Posted by: clint Location: ky on Sep 27, 2007 at 09:29 AM
Dee, who died and let you in charge of the comments? "Mind your own business"?, ok let's stick to the subject. Apparently, these people are friends of yours. So, tell us Dee, how do you think you're friends child got ahold of cocaine? As far as the question, "would you want strangers to have him?' Well, as long as the strangers didn't have cocaine laying around like his mother and aunt, then yes I would. It's unfortunate, but if you're going to get yoru feeling hurt by reading the comments, then don't. The truth hurts.

Posted by: angie Location: ky on Sep 26, 2007 at 11:01 PM
i am still upset over the teacher who left her child in the Hot car all day to die and got off free! i have a 13 yr old and a 11 month old and i have never forgotten either of them for a quick second so sorry lady i don't buy your story you think cause you worked for a school and delivered cupcakes to other kids that your specail and shouldn't get punished for killing a child well the system is screwed up somewhere!she will pay in the end!

Posted by: Dee Location: KY on Sep 26, 2007 at 06:18 PM
Mel, That has nothing to do with this case, mind your own business. Which aunt is Ty placed with. Great Aunt maybe? His grandmother Linda is a great lady and so is his Great Aunt Lisa and I am sure they will do whats right by the child. people, if you have never been in this situation of having a family member taken from your family at no fault of your own, you need to stay out of it and not judge how someone in the childs family feels or would do with the child. Imagine this being your grandchild, would you want strangers to have him?

Posted by: Beth Location: West KY on Sep 26, 2007 at 04:27 PM
As a social worker, I would like to say that it is very different from county to county with Social Services and the Court Systems; there is supposed to be uniformity. Hopefully, the mother and aunt will serve extensive jail time, and the child will be taking care of by responsible relatives that actually have a heart for the child.

Posted by: mel Location: lex on Sep 26, 2007 at 03:13 PM
....and I just have to add that not too long ago a teacher from Harrodsburg left her infant child and toddler in a very hot car for the entire day while she was in class. But maybe she was raised in Danville and that's where she got her comparable parenting skills that endangered her children as much as drugs. At any rate, she didn't get charged with anything for nearly causing their death. Maybe it's just that in Mercer County they don't indict criminals, so their records look better.

Posted by: mel Location: lex on Sep 26, 2007 at 03:07 PM
Kate, I hope you don't plan on practicing law in Kentucky or you're going to be very disappointed. This child will be placed with family that may or may not be of any better character than the mother and aunt involved. Unless they have priors, they will not serve "serious" jail time and they will both be allowed to visit the child freely. This is the real world and the justice in your prelaw books might not coincide exactly with it in all circumstances.

Posted by: Pro-Bart Location: Town of Harrod on Sep 26, 2007 at 02:38 PM
It's already spreading Bert! HARRODSBURG - Two juveniles was charged Monday afternoon with theft by unlawful taking less than $300 from an automobile. The youths reportedly had been going through the neighborhood stealing items from vehicles, said local police. Some of the vehicle doors were forced open. When located, the juveniles were charged with going through a vehicle that belonged to (edited).

Posted by: family Location: friend on Sep 26, 2007 at 01:57 PM
Ty is doing fine and has been placed in the custody of his Aunt as for the parents and aunt they will get what they deserve and so will Ty, a better chance at life!

Posted by: Anonymous on Sep 26, 2007 at 10:22 AM
come on people they will not get that baby back, surely the court wouldnot do that. i hope they get alot of jail time. this little sweet baby,could have died.i pray for the baby, but i bet you money , that the social services give the baby to relatives. and the aunt does nothing but a little fines and a couple months of probation ,even if she gets that. and the mother gets off on probation and fines. and we all know that when that baby goes to relatives they will let her see it.

Posted by: Anonymous Location: Irvine on Sep 26, 2007 at 10:13 AM
Kate (the pre-law major) you must not come out of Lexington much because you sure don't know how the judges are in other towns they like to give children back to theses parents and not give them a lot of time in jail. And I am with the most of the rest of you what in the world would abortion help. This world just gets crazier and sadder everyday. We all need to pray for this child and all the children that live with monsters and we need to pray that we can have better parents,judges,social workers and police.

Posted by: Pro-Bart Location: The Towne of Harrod on Sep 26, 2007 at 10:04 AM
You go bert!! Danville stinks, too bad it's only about six miles from our bastion of civility. I think we should build a wall to keep the people from Danville out. We should use logs...yeah logs. Do you have a saw bert?

Posted by: anonymous Location: tn on Sep 26, 2007 at 09:02 AM
how is the baby doing no one seems to ask this question and they need to be locked up and throw the key away and never let them out how can someone hurt an inncent child they are so loveable and being that young she better hope he dont die from it if he does there murder charges on her and her aunt they should know better then that

Posted by: Mr. Obvious Location: KY on Sep 26, 2007 at 07:43 AM
Great idea anonymous, let's abort everyone then we won't have any problems in the world! How about not screwing around and getting pregnant in the first place. If you don't start a fire, you don't have to put it out. I do appreciate your attempt to bring your pro-abortion agenda into the argument though. However, I really don't see killing the child before it ingested the cocaine as a viable preventinve measure. How about trying to bring morals and commonsense back into American society. After all, it was the mother who had the child (which you think she shouldn't have had) and it was her that either brought the cocaine into the child's environment or allowed it to be brought around the child. Well, anonymous looks like a no-go for you, back to the drawing board.

Posted by: Sad Location: Kentucky on Sep 26, 2007 at 07:42 AM
The worst part is that they'll most likely do time for the drugs, pay some fines, or whatever. In the end, the kid will be right back in that home with the same mother. Reminds you of the baby wipe case, doesn't it?

Posted by: Bart Location: Harrodsburg on Sep 26, 2007 at 03:43 AM
I have said it before and I will say it again. Danville is a vile little town. AIDS victims using their bites as weapons, kids ODing on cocaine that their mother gave them, teachers molesting children, a police farce that is corrupt to the core... and a now former Mayor who gets down in the floor and plays with toy trains. (I DO NOT make this up!) If you want to be safe STAY IN LEXINGTON! You wouldn't stand a chance in Danville!

Posted by: donny Location: ky on Sep 25, 2007 at 10:20 PM
any one that would give a kid drugs is trash,,druggies make me sick,,get a life and stop taking lives,

Posted by: Anonymous Location: Floyd County on Sep 25, 2007 at 10:14 PM
First of all, I pray for this precious little baby and that someone will love and care for this child... Absolutley not the so called MOTHER...... I also would like to say if UNITE and Law Enforcement would do their JOBS......, drugs would be scarce. People look around you. How easy is it to get any type of drug you want? It makes me sick. Until something is done about the drug problem, this will continue to happen.

Posted by: agnes Location: lexington on Sep 25, 2007 at 07:54 PM
everyone pray for this baby that it will be cared for by those who have the power to do it no chikd should need to grow u[ around drugs

Posted by: Kim Location: hope on Sep 25, 2007 at 06:03 PM
I hope and pray that the child is going to be alright. As for the mother and aunt, I'm an aunt myself with full custody of my 2 niece's and a nephew, because of these kind of drug's. I don't even want to call you an aunt, or a mother, because a real mother or aunt would never put thier child or family member in this kind of danger or enviroment. I also have 3 teenager's one 16, 18, and a 21 year old son. And I would put you behind bar's myself if you gave my child something like that. I hope you both rot in jail for along time. Because that's where scum like you ought to be.

Posted by: Peggy Location: Ky on Sep 25, 2007 at 05:45 PM
Anonymous-what?So it's okay to kill the baby before it has a chance at life at all? Is your opinion why you put anonymous as who this statement is from?Too ashamed to say your name?That's okay-God knows who you are.Why not look at it as if people had the good sense to USE BIRTH CONTROL in the first place,there'd be NO ABORTIONS OR ABUSED/NELECTED children.I bet you feel different if these kids were killed after they were born,instead of while they're in the womb.Then again,you sound very liberal,so you probably are against the death penalty,too.DISGUSTING!

Posted by: speechless Location: danville on Sep 25, 2007 at 04:18 PM
WHAT!!!! The neighbors are OUTRAGED!!!! Thats funny in the last year or so there has been a meth lab busted on thier street, a group of juveniles broke into a house stole a handgun and shot another juvenile in the hand with it, there are several crack houses on the street, not to mention all of the juvenile complaints!!! And it finally takes a child almost losing his life for them to be outraged, pretty easy going folks huh?

Posted by: B Location: KY on Sep 25, 2007 at 04:17 PM
I can not even express how sick this makes me! To all the crackheads.....may you all suffer the same way you are making everyone around you suffer!

Posted by: Sheila Location: Russell Springs on Sep 25, 2007 at 04:10 PM
This makes me furious! What rights do children have? The courts won't defend them, a lot of parents won't provide and care for them, but, yet, they are the ones that keep having babies! I hope and pray this child gets placed with a loving family that will give it a chance in life. I can give you names of a few people that would gladly provide for this child and would make sure it had a good life! As far as the Mom and Aunt...keep them locked up! That is really too easy of a punishment for them but, seems to be the only legal punishment....let our taxes feed, house, and educate them if they want an education! God knows working people don't have that opportunity. You say drug addiction is an illness, I say bullsh**! They want to do it or they wouldn't!

Posted by: Mr. Obvious Location: KY on Sep 25, 2007 at 03:52 PM
Great point about abortion anonymous! Let me live up to my name, how about if she never screwed around and got pregnant in the first place? You don't have to put out a fire if you never start it. Great attempt though to put in a plug for your pro-abortion agenda. It's bad enough to let the kid get a hold of the cocaine, but I really don't think killing the child before they did it is a suitable preventive measure. What's next: childproof caps on medicine, who needs them? Just kill the kid, that'll teach 'em to stay out of stuff. (I am not saying cocaine is equal to prescription/otc medications, I'm just pointing out how stupid this idea is).

Posted by: Casey Location: Lexington on Sep 25, 2007 at 03:42 PM
There is such a thing as birth control and if you are not responsible enough to take care of a child or if you do not want a child, please use birth control so you don't have a child.

Posted by: Anonymous on Sep 25, 2007 at 03:26 PM
people hollers abortions im sorry but good god dont lay down and play if you dont or cant take resposibility people needs to grow up

Posted by: Kate Location: Lexington on Sep 25, 2007 at 03:22 PM
I being a pre law major can tell you that this judge will not take to likely to this and this mother will do serious jail time, This child will most likely never be in her care again and she'll be lucky if she will ever be able to receive any type of visitation rights to this child, supervised or not, which is exactly what she deserves. It's so sad that there are so many people who want more then anything to have a child and can't yet we've got plenty having them who are killing them, mistreating them and god only knows what else!

Posted by: mother Location: Ky on Sep 25, 2007 at 01:05 PM
Bad news about babies everytime we watch the news.I cant for the life of me understand how some of these people can live with themselves.I say give these (editred) a good cocaine overdose,get them healthy,do it again a couple more times.Then let them go through withdrawl without any medical help-Let them see what this baby is going through.When babies are left to wander around the street on their own, you know things like this are liable to happen.

Posted by: Peggy Location: KY on Sep 25, 2007 at 12:59 PM
Ya know,it's one thing if these women want to kill themselves slowly with cocaine...another to leave this crap lying around for the kids to have access to.When you see kids being left to fend for themselves,the so-called care takers (parents)are busy doing their own thing,whether drugs,or whatever.Remember the couple a few months ago starving their babies because of computer games?C- of franfort,you're probably right,she'll get the baby back.It's not just in KY,it's everywhere.There's just not enough people who care,are willing,or able to take these abuse,neglected children in,so what else can the government do?The children end up paying for the issues these people have who bring them into this world without thought or care of taking care of them as they should.I can not phathom not putting my child's welfare above everything else.I dont understand how all these parents we've heard about lately can live with themselves.God must be disgusted he ever allowed some people to have been born.

Posted by: nunya Location: lex on Sep 25, 2007 at 12:30 PM
She's a "Nice girl" who does Meth? Please, Mr. Obvious, there is no such thing. I feel no pity for this woman, only for her child, who has to live with a drug addict. If an adult wants to do drugs, that's their choice, but at least have the sense to PUT YOUR DOPE AWAY so your children can't get a hod of it. This woman deserves a lengthy prison sentence, and her child deserves a mother who cares more about him/her than about getting smashed. The Aunt should br charged with obstruction for trying to keep cops from searching the home. Hopefully the foster care system will place this kid with a good family and he will have no memory of his cokehead mom once he's an adult. Trash begets trash, but I hope this kid gets a fighting chance to rise above all this.

Posted by: B Location: kentucky on Sep 25, 2007 at 12:29 PM
The cold, hard truth is that kids have no political voice as a group (they cannot vote or speak out and defend their wants and needs like adults can). This child will likely end up right back with this irresponsible mother and with absolutely no control over what becomes of his life. A sad truth.

Posted by: Jane on Sep 25, 2007 at 12:25 PM
Don't worry, the screwed up court system will give the child back. Sad, Sad, Sad.

Posted by: anonymous on Sep 25, 2007 at 11:51 AM
Maybe if abortion weren't so frowned upon in this area there would be fewer abused and neglected children.

Posted by: brenda Location: corbin on Sep 25, 2007 at 11:47 AM
here we go again! guilty or otherwise put them to death and let GOD pass judgement on their souls.

Posted by: Kari Location: Paris on Sep 25, 2007 at 11:15 AM
EXECUTION!!!! That's what needs to be done to those who harm a child. They do not deserve to live and they should be executed with in a week!!!

Posted by: flk Location: Lex on Sep 25, 2007 at 11:14 AM
The death penalty for such people would change how many children are neglected or abused we need to protect all our children

Posted by: Gail Location: Winchester on Sep 25, 2007 at 10:04 AM
Take a minute and pray with me for this baby. Thank God our Lord and saviour was there to sustain him until help arrived. I hope you two spend a lot of time behind bars for what you did and I hope the baby is given to someone that wants to care for him instead of harm him!

Posted by: Monica Location: Lexington on Sep 25, 2007 at 10:00 AM
Another dumb (edited) mother who didn't deserve to have child.

Posted by: A concerned parent Location: Paris on Sep 25, 2007 at 09:26 AM
Here we go again, when are these people ever going to learn. The life of a child is a blessing from God and I do not understand why some people just don't get it. If you want to do drugs that is on you, but your child should not have to suffer from your choices. I pray that this child will be ok.

Posted by: mel Location: lex on Sep 25, 2007 at 09:23 AM
Cocaine - either snorted, smoked or injected, is going to be the destruction of this society, either by death, ruined jobs and marriages, or negligence such as this. This is a highly addictive drug that is being played with by young people across all social levels. Crack starts the addiction process the FIRST TIME it is smoked, and progresses from there to full fledged, home-invasion, robbing, stealing, lying, behavior to obtain it. I have no ideas on how to get a handle on the cocaine epidemic (as well as meth) but if we don't, more and more people will become addicted daily; not just hard core druggies but our teenagers in their experimentation, who then turn a friend on, too. We are losing them.

Posted by: jake Location: richmond on Sep 25, 2007 at 09:23 AM
the child should never be back with that family..they care more about themselves he is better off with a foster family or adopted.. how can these people live with themselves?

Posted by: Tom Location: Harrodsburg on Sep 25, 2007 at 09:09 AM
Where was the father? It wouldn't suprise me if she doesn't even know who the father is. This girl has been in trouble for a long time.

Posted by: Dex Location: dville on Sep 25, 2007 at 09:07 AM
like babymama like baby

Posted by: Mr. Obvious Location: Danville on Sep 25, 2007 at 09:06 AM
Let's get this out of the way- - but I know Ashley...she's such a good girl... it couldn't have been her cocaine (she only uses meth). Now that someone has defended this crackhead everyone else is free to say what really needs to be said. They should take this child from her, lock her sorry (edited) up and throw away the key, that goes for her aunt too.

Posted by: c Location: fkt on Sep 25, 2007 at 08:06 AM
If these two want to kill themselves doing drugs, fine, but give the child to someone else who will properly care for it. This mother obviously does not want this child or else she would not be doing drugs around it! So hopefully the courts will have enough sense to give it to someone else! But then again this is KY, so I would bet the mother has the child back within the month! She will have to kill this child before she sees any jail time and only then will she get a year or two if that! KY courts and lawmakers need to take a good hard look at KY's laws on this kind of stuff and make it tougher for people like this to get away with their crimes against children!

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