Woman gives birth while overdosing on heroin in Burger King bathroom
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A mother believed to be overdosing on heroin gave birth in an Ohio Burger King bathroom stall, and first responders found the baby alive in the toilet Friday afternoon, according to Chillicothe police.
Police initially responded to reports of a man who had passed out in a vehicle and that a woman, who was with him, had overdosed, according to WSYX.
Officers said they found 26-year-old Zachary Frey passed out behind the wheel of a running vehicle and Elizabeth D. Sanders, also 26, sitting on the toilet in the women’s restroom, a suspected ball of heroin on the floor beside her.
Sanders told officers she thought she had suffered a miscarriage, police said. However, when the officer looked inside the toilet, there was an infant lying face up, according to the Chillicothe Gazette. The officer reportedly told Sanders to stand up, causing the child to roll face down into the water.
The medic grabbed the newborn, who was still breathing, and the baby was taken to the hospital. Chillicothe Police Capt. Larry Bamfield told the paper the boy is expected to be “OK,” but it’s not clear what plans are in place for the child’s custody.
Police say Frey was taken to Ross County Jail and charged with operating a vehicle impaired and possession of drug paraphernalia. Sanders pleaded guilty on Monday after being charged over an unrelated warrant for theft.