A Nebraska woman is accused of child abuse after her baby tested positive for methamphetamine and cocaine.
Prosecutors charged 34-year-old Jessica Hernandez of Kearney with child abuse resulting in bodily injury after a blood test revealed trace amounts of the drugs in the baby’s system.
Test shows drugs in Kearney baby's bloodstream. Mother charged with child abuse. https://t.co/tbiV0Upnyq
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Hernandez gave birth to the baby on Dec. 26, 2023, at home, according to 10 11 Now, which cited court records.
“Emergency workers were called to the scene when the baby had trouble breathing. The child was later taken to CHI Good Samaritan Hospital. Police report that Hernandez and the baby’s father were uncooperative and that Hernandez refused a blood test,” according to the report.
The tests were done on the baby’s blood and urine as well as a section of the umbilical cord. The baby was in a neonatal intensive care unit “with a feeding tube and a CPAP machine to assist breathing,” the report states.
Hernandez was arrested on Thursday and is being held at the Buffalo County Detention Center. A hearing on the charges was pending in Buffalo County Court Friday morning. She faces up to three years in prison if convicted.
