A Platte City, Mo. woman stands accused of a misdemeanor for endangering the welfare of her granddaughter after the 4-year-old apparently ingested a large amount of wine while in her care.
The incident occurred in December of 2014, but the Platte County Prosecutor’s Office did not file the charge against Aretha McAdoo, 43, until Monday, Feb. 9. She faces up to one year in prison if convicted.
According to a probable cause statement, she was watching three of her grandchildren at her home when the incident occurred.
On Dec. 16, 2014, Platte County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the residence with emergency personnel in regards to a 4-year-old child possibly having seizures with the possibility the child had ingested alcohol. She was taken to Children’s Mercy Hospital after first responders noticed her vomiting up liquid that smelled strongly of alcohol.
A test indicated a blood alcohol content of .159 — nearly twice the legal limit for an adult to drive.
According to the probable cause statement, McAdoo was the only adult present, and deputies believed her to be intoxicated upon their arrival, noting she was slurring her words and having severe mood swings while struggling to maintain her balance. She initially told authorities that the child may have taken a sip or two of her wine.
McAdoo attempted to leave the residence to follow the ambulance, but deputies insisted she submit to a portable blood test to determine her BAC before allowing her to drive. She became defensive and refused the test.
During a subsequent interview, McAdoo said she poured herself at least two glasses of wine and left the glass along with a partially full bladder from a box of wine unattended at her kitchen table. She admitted leaving the room several different times but never noticed any of the children drinking the wine.
McAdoo said she came downstairs at one point to find her second glass of wine empty and admitted the 4-year-old was capable of operating the valve on the wine bladder. Another one of the children also told her that the 4-year-old had been drinking the wine.