In 'Heartbreaking' Video, Toddler Tries to Wake Up ODed Mom

The 36-year-old woman is being charged with child endangerment
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 22, 2016 5:59 PM CDT
In 'Heartbreaking' Video, Toddler Tries to Wake Up ODed Mom
   (DEA)

Instead of helping when a 36-year-old woman collapsed from an apparent overdose, leaving her 2-year-old daughter crying on the floor of a Family Dollar, a bystander whipped out their cellphone and started filming, WILX reports. And while police wish the bystander would have helped instead, they will be using the video (which can be seen here) as evidence of child endangerment against the unnamed woman. The video shows the woman lying on the floor of a Family Dollar in Lawrence, Massachusetts, as her daughter cries and tries to wake her up, the AP reports.

The 2-year-old was taken into custody by the Department of Children and Families, and her mother, after being revived with Narcan, was arrested. Police say they found evidence of heroin or fentanyl use on the woman. Police released the cellphone video Wednesday, calling it a "heartbreaking" example of how drug addiction impacts families. An Ohio police department was criticized earlier this month when it released a photo of a 4-year-old boy in the backseat of a car while his grandma was allegedly overdosing in the front. Police said they were trying to show the dangers of heroin. (More heroin stories.)

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