A 20-year-old Texas woman, Vianney Alyssa Acosta, was arrested after her one-year-old nephew allegedly grabbed her marijuana vape pen a took a “hit.” The child was in her care at the time of the incident.
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According to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, the incident took place on Friday, May 16. Deputies arrived at as residence where the one-year-old child exhibited signs of “narcotics exposure.”
A complaint affidavit obtained by the El Paso Times showed that the toddler was having trouble breathing. Reportedly, he had smoked a THC vape pen. At the time, the child had “droopy eyes and was trying to go to sleep.”
Present at the house were the child’s grandmother, the father, and Acosta, who, according to CBS4, is the toddler’s aunt. The child’s mother was at work at the time. The three adults were eating in the kitchen at around 2:42 p.m. when Acosta heard the child coughing.
Vape Pen ‘Out In The Open’
Upon checking, Acosto found the one-year-old with the vape pen in his hands. According to the complaint, the grandmother told deputies that the vape pen contained “weed” and that it belonged to Acosta. When questioned by deputies, the grandmother said that she was aware that Acosta smoked THC vape pens, saying that “she’s 20.”
When interviewed by deputies, the complaint alleges that Acosta immediately admitted to owning a THC vape pen. She had stored it in her room, but she didn’t believe his nephew was able to reach it. As per the affidavit, the marijuana vape pen was being stored in a two-foot-tall nightstand.
The affidavit further alleges that the THC vape pen was “out in the open with miscellaneous items on top covering it.” Acosta told deputies that she believed that the vape pen was empty.
Deputies and the father took the child to a local hospital. A urine sample confirmed that the child had consumed THC.
As a result, Vianney Alyssa Acosta was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance and child endangerment. She was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility on a $6,000 bond. Additionally, a Child Protective Services case was opened.