NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla.- A North Fort Myers man is behind bars for child neglect after his 3 year old son was found to have methadone in his system, while under his care.
Deputies responded to a medical assistance call to the home on Tuesday, where multiple bottles of soda and half-filled glasses of an "unknown substance" were found inside. Samples of each liquid have been collected and submitted as evidence.
According the mother of the child, the couple was sleeping when she woke up around 3 in the morning, after the toddler threw up in bed. In the report, she tells detectives she noticed her son to be in normal health, changed his clothes, and gave him a bottle of apple juice and water. A few hours later, she found her son to be unresponsive and difficulty breathing.
A crime scene unit and detectives responded. Detectives describe the home as "unsanitary and disorderly."
The report states the toddler's breathing could not support life and went into cardiac arrest multiple times with his condition too dire to take him to the children's hospital, where he had to be stabilized at another one nearby.
A blood screen determined the toddler consumed liquid methadone. According to the report, Dye concluded that his son probably found the bottle of methadone he lost a couple days ago in the bedroom.
When Dye was asked about the bottle, he said he has been slowly taking a few milligrams from each of his daily doses of methadone and had it stored in his closet in case he needed an additional dose.
While the parents admit they did have methadone in the home, both said the child had no access to the medication.
James Dye is facing charges for child neglect. He is expected to be in court on April 4th. Bond is set at $100,000.
The mother and grandmother declined to speak on camera but told FOX 4 the 3 year old is recovering at Golisano Children's Hospital. The grandmother the toddler and his 6 year old sister are autistic. She says her granddaughter is in a foster home.
