After being arrested for giving birth to a heroin-addicted baby, an Alabama woman is under arrest again after authorities discovered she was pregnant a second time.
Alexandra Nicole Laird, 21, of Pleasant Grove, Alabama, was indicted earlier in 2016 after her newborn baby was discovered by doctors to be addicted to heroin, reports AL.com. Laird is pregnant again and back behind bars on another child endangerment charge.
“I’m doing my damndest to try to prevent any further damage to this child, since it’s obvious the mother doesn’t seem to care,” said Pleasant Grove Police Lt. Danny Reid.
The first baby Laird gave birth to tested positive for opiates and amphetamines. The baby was transferred to hospital and received treatment for withdrawal symptoms. Laird admitted to police she used heroin once or twice per week for five months during the pregnancy.
“You won’t know you’ve truly victimized this child until much later in life when she has trouble in school, trouble functioning,” Reid said at the time of Laird’s indictment.
Laird also faced an unrelated drug possession charge after she and a man were pulled over and officers discovered 38 hydrocodone pills in their car.
After being arrested for failure to appear in court, Laird admitted to officials she was pregnant. Reid then argued before a judge that Laird should be held without bail, saying her unborn baby’s life is in danger if she is set free.
The judge ruled she must stay in jail until she gives birth, noting that the jail system has medical staff trained to help those with drug addictions.
In 2013, more than 27,000 babies were born dependent on drugs. Statistics show that one child is born craving opioids every 19 minutes, reports Reuters.
“This is a sad case, no matter how you look at it, as the mother’s heroin addiction is more compelling to her than the health and welfare of this unborn child,” Reid said. “But make no mistake, sad or not, law enforcement will hold this mother accountable and vigorously defend and protect the well being of the child, who is innocent of all of this and simply struggling for life.”
