Pregnant Woman Arrested For Endangering Unborn Child By Huffing
CHICAGO (STMW) -- A northwest Indiana woman with an admitted addiction to huffing has been arrested for felony neglect of a dependent — her unborn son.
At 2:25 p.m. Wednesday, a Porter County Sheriff's Department's officer went to Mariah Warner's home, in the 100 block of East Bates Street in Hebron, to serve an arrest warrant for neglect of a dependent and inhaling toxic vapors, stemming from a July 9 incident in Hebron.
The officer looked through a window and saw Warner semi-conscious on the couch, seemingly having a seizure. She quickly regained consciousness, according to the police report, then picked up a can of compressed air and lifted it to her mouth.
The officer kicked open the locked door and took the can away from Warner, putting it near two other cans in her open purse, police said. He then noticed a crib, children's clothing, and letters spelling "Landen" hanging on the wall; Warner said no children live in the home, but she is six months pregnant.
Warner was transported to Porter Regional Hospital, where staff confirmed the baby still had a heartbeat. Warner then was taken to the Porter County Jail on the warrant and new, identical charges — felony neglect of a dependent and misdemeanor inhaling of toxic vapors.
The fetus' father, also Warner's live-in boyfriend, told police he wanted her "locked away somewhere," because he fears that is the only way she will stop huffing. The 24-year-old man said he "has found Mariah huffing or unconscious from it many times before and he is extremely concerned for the welfare of his unborn child," according to the police report.
Police notified Child Protective Services.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
