Florida man accused of pouring meth into sippy cup that toddler drank from: NCSO

CALLAHAN, Fla. - A Florida man is accused of pouring methamphetamine into a sippy cup that a 1-year-old child later drank from inside a Callahan home earlier this year, according to the Nassau County Sheriff's Office.

Mark Windham, 46, was the fifth person arrested in connection with the case. He was taken into custody on Saturday, NCSO said.

The arrest comes months after investigators began looking into the child's exposure to methamphetamine in February.

Florida toddler meth exposure

The backstory:

The investigation began Feb. 24 after detectives learned the toddler had ingested methamphetamine the previous day.

According to investigators, the child drank from a sippy cup before the parents discovered a bag containing methamphetamine at the bottom of the cup.

The child later began vomiting. The mother took the toddler to a nearby fire station, and the child was transported to an area hospital for treatment of a possible overdose, the sheriff's office said.

Investigators said the child's parents and other residents of the home did not immediately call 911 after learning the toddler may have been exposed to the drug.

Sippy cup incident arrests

What we know:

NCSO said the four people previously arrested in the case — Hayden Simmons, Damien Windham, Erica Foley and Judith Addison — identified Mark Windham as the person who possessed the methamphetamine.

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Investigators also learned that Simmons and Damien Windham told detectives they witnessed Mark Windham pour the contents of his cup into the toddler's sippy cup.

A search warrant at the home also turned up drug paraphernalia, including glass pipes and containers with methamphetamine residue, according to investigators.

The four other suspects were previously arrested on a charge of child neglect causing great bodily harm. Foley also faces a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to NCSO, a warrant was issued for Mark Windham's arrest on Feb. 26.

Mark Windham was being held on a bond exceeding $25,000 for child neglect causing great bodily harm and $2,500 for possession of drug paraphernalia with residue, according to the sheriff's office.

Law enforcement on child safety

What they're saying:

"Time doesn’t diminish our commitment to accountability. Our detectives continued working this case for months, following leads and pursuing every avenue until they identified and arrested everyone responsible," Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said. "I’m proud of their persistence and dedication to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community."

In February, Leeper called the incident "heartbreaking and completely preventable" and said there was no excuse for methamphetamine to be accessible to a child.

Child recovery status

What we don't know:

NCSO has not released updated medical information regarding the child's current health status or custody arrangements following the February hospital treatment. 

FloridaCrime and Public Safety