Two people have been arrested after seven Virginia elementary school students ate fentanyl-laced gummy bears from a bag one of them brought home and shared with others.
Clifford Dugan, 50, and Nicole Sanders, 26, were charged with contributing to delinquency, child abuse after the group of fourth-graders required medical attention Tuesday for something they ate during lunch at Central Elementary School, Amherst County Sheriff’s Office said.
“During the investigation, it was found that this student had eaten a gummy bear. The SRO at the scene observed the residue in the bag containing the chewing gum,” the police said in a statement.
One of the seven children brought a rubber bag to school and shared it with his classmates at lunch, WSLS reported.
Five students were taken to hospital, including two by ambulance, sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Dallas Hill told CNN.
They all had symptoms including nausea, vomiting, headaches and muscle cramps, he said.
Clifford Dugan, 50, was charged with “mischief, child abuse.” Blue Ridge Regional Jailer Nicole Sanders, 26, faces charges of “misdemeanor, child abuse.” and possession of Schedule I or Schedule II narcotics. Blue Ridge Regional Jail
A field test kit on the bag showed a positive result for fentanyl, according to officials, who said the specimen will be sent to a Drug Enforcement Administration lab for additional testing.
As a result of the investigation, police executed a search warrant at a home on Pendleton Drive in Amherst County, where Dugan and Sanders were arrested.
Dugan also faces a charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, while Sanders is also charged with possession of a Schedule I or Schedule II narcotic.
Hayden Floyd, 10, was one of seven students taken to the hospital. Facebook / Kristina Wright
Superintendent of Schools William Wells said the affected student was released from the hospital late Tuesday.
Inside statement to the family, the school district said it had “confirmed that the bag was taken from home by a student. We will work with the Sheriff’s Office as they continue their investigation.”
At the press conference, Wells said: “This is not a school issue … the fentanyl came from someone’s home … I’m holding our parents accountable. It’s here and it’s real.”
Hayden, who was released, said he ate 10 gummy bears. Facebook / Kristina Wright
The district “will make it a point of emphasis to remind our students not to share food items. Drug awareness will continue to be a point of emphasis in all sections in all schools,” he said.
Meanwhile, the mother of one of the students involved shared an update on Facebook about her son, Hayden Floyd.
“Hayden is home, tests all came back normal with no trace of fentanyl thank god,” Kristina Wright wrote in the post, where she shared a photo of her son being taken to the hospital and lying in bed.
Central Primary School. WSET-TV
“I want to say, ACPS did not do anything wrong, as soon as they were informed about the incident, I was called and informed. They took the best precautions and had an EMT at the school as soon as I arrived,” he wrote.
“I was informed when they told me it was just gum from Sam’s club. As well as being notified as soon as they tested the baggy and it contained fentanyl,” Wright wrote.
He said his son had eaten 10 gummy bears and pleaded for parents not to allow their children to “accept ANYTHING from anyone, it could be life-threatening. THIS could be worse.”
Kristina Wright, seen with her son, Hayden, urged parents to be vigilant. WSET-TV
In an interview with WSET, 10-year-old Hayden said the gummy bear “feels weird. It’s just delicious. The aftertaste, it tastes really good.”
But things took a turn for the worse after lunch.
“We felt nauseous, sick to our stomachs, hot,” Hayden told the outlet in an exchange on Facebook with her mother’s permission.
“When I was in the ambulance, I was really scared,” he said. “They could, like, barely put my stuff down because I was shaking so bad.”
Hayden said he learned a valuable lesson from the incident.
“If people ever offer you something like food, don’t take it from them,” he told WSET.
Both suspects are being held at the Amherst County Adult Detention Center — Sanders on $2,500 bond and Dugan on no bond.
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