Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Police: Nevada couple jailed after baby ingests drugs

A couple was jailed after their 1-year-old daughter ingested heroin left within her reach, police said.

The baby was in serious condition after being taken to a hospital Saturday night, the Reno Gazette-Journal (http://on.rgj.com/O9lDrM) reported Tuesday.

Her parents, Lorena Vizina, 23, and Justin Robinson, 25, were booked Sunday into the Washoe County Jail on suspicion of child abuse. Each was being held on $20,000 bail. It wasn't immediately known if they had attorneys.

The couple told detectives they were both addicted to methamphetamine and heroin, the newspaper reported, citing court documents.

Vizina told investigators she and Robinson smoked heroin Saturday night before she went to work at an escort service, and the child was left in Robinson's care, the newspaper reported.

Robinson told investigators he put the baby on the living room floor then got dressed and washed his face and hair. He said he left the child unattended for a few minutes, the affidavit said.

When he returned, he said, the girl had a white powdery substance around her mouth, the documents said. He said he put his finger in her mouth to check for obstructions and discovered the powder tasted like medication.

For the next 45 minutes, he watched the girl shaking and rolling her eyes, the affidavit said. He then took her to her grandparents' home and asked if she looked OK, the court record said.

Police said the girl was unresponsive and had blue lips and skin. Blood tests later showed traces of morphine and codeine, investigators said.

Social workers called police to the hospital, where Robinson said the girl may have ingested medication, according to detectives.

The couple was evicted from their apartment and they were packing Saturday before Vizina picked up their daughter from her parents' home. The grandparents had been babysitting for the previous 10 days.

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Information from: Reno Gazette-Journal, http://www.rgj.com