Versean Anderson, 25, from Milwaukee has been charged with child neglect after exposing his 5-week-old daughter to both opioids and cocaine, leading to emergency medical measures to counteract an overdose. On May 6 Anderson cleaned a set of dirty syringes by filling them with water from a jug and injecting the water back into the jug. Later in the day, the baby’s mother returned home and unknowingly made her daughter a bottle with that water. Shortly after 7 p.m., the baby began having difficulty breathing.
The mother rushed the baby to St. Luke’s Medical Center, where doctors administered two doses of Narcan. Doctors also conducted a urinalysis, which revealed the presence of opioids and cocaine in the child’s system. She was then transported to the intensive care unit at the Children’s Hospital, where she received another infusion of Narcan to counteract the narcotics still in her system.
The next day, two officers arrived at Anderson’s home and a search of the residence revealed a used syringe containing heroin, five needles, and two burned and bent spoons. Anderson denied using drugs and attributed the drug paraphernalia to his brother and two of his friends. Later, the child’s mother confirmed to a detective that Anderson uses both heroin and cocaine and that he would often keep drugs on a bathroom shelf within reach of their 4-year-old daughter.
In a later interview with a different detective, Anderson admitted that during the day on May 6 while at home with his children, he and a friend purchased cocaine from their drug dealer, who came to their home. After injecting the cocaine mixed with water into his arm, Anderson cleaned the syringes using a jug of water he referred to as “baby water,” according to the complaint. The child’s mother confirmed that she made her daughter’s bottle with water from the same jug later that day. If convicted, Anderson could face imprisonment for up to 12 and a half years.
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