Woman Arrested For Giving Meth To Child In Berkeley Park
BERKELEY (CBS SF) -- Police have arrested a woman who allegedly fed methamphetamine to a toddler playing in a Berkeley park.
Sayyadina Thomas, who has two prior felony convictions, was charged with child abuse Wednesday and a felony of having controlled substances on school grounds for allegedly selling or giving away methamphetamine to a minor.
University of California at Berkeley police Detective Jon Caires wrote in a probable cause statement that at 3:31 p.m. Monday at People's Park, a female nanny was with the 2-year-old boy and a 3-year-old boy at a play structure inside the park when Thomas "shoved an unknown substance into the mouth of the 2-year-old boy she was watching."
Thomas was a stranger to the nanny and the two young boys and "her actions were unprovoked," Caires wrote.
Caires wrote that he contacted Thomas and found out that she was on probation for a 2015 conviction for resisting a police officer and causing serious bodily injury.
Thomas told Caires that she had put a "tootsie roll" inside the 2-year-old boy's mouth and he determined that she was a danger to herself and others because of mental illness and had her sent to the John George Psychiatric Hospital in San Leandro to be evaluated.
Thomas later told paramedics that the substance she put into the 2-year-old boy's mouth was methamphetamine, so the boy was taken to UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, where he is now recovering.
Caires arrested Thomas on suspicion of attempted murder but the Alameda County District Attorney's Office decided to charge her with the lesser offense of child abuse.
Thomas was transferred to Santa Rita Jail after she was treated at the psychiatric facility.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the University of California Police Department at (510) 642-0472 or (510) 642-6760.
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