CRIME
2 Arrested After 7 Children Ingest Suspected Fentanyl Residue In Bag Of Gummy Bears
AMHERST COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
Two people have been arrested after seven elementary school students in Virginia required medical treatment for suspected exposure to fentanyl, a powerful opioid, after eating gummy bears, authorities said Wednesday.
The Amherst County Sheriff’s Office said a school resource officer was notified on Tuesday that seven students at Central Elementary School in Amherst needed medical treatment after ingesting something at lunch.
Two students were transported by Amherst County Public Safety to Lynchburg General Hospital, two students were transported by their parents to the same hospital, and one student was transported by parents to Bedford Memorial Hospital, the sheriff’s office said.
The fourth-grade students experienced symptoms including nausea, vomiting, headaches, and muscle spasms, Schools Superintendent William Wells said at a press conference Wednesday. The affected students were released from a hospital late Tuesday.
The school resource officer determined that each of the students had eaten gummy bears, and found a residue in the plastic sandwich bag the gummies were in. A field test kit used indicated a positive result for the presence of fentanyl in the bag, according to the sheriff’s office, which said the bag would be sent to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further testing.
After executing a search warrant at 143 Pendleton Drive in Amherst County, two suspects were arrested in connection with the incident.
Clifford Dugan, 50, and Nicole Sanders, 26, were each charged with contributing to the delinquency, abuse of a child. Dugan was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sanders was also charged with drug possession.
The school district said in a statement to families Tuesday that it confirmed that the bag was brought from home by a student.
Amherst County Public Schools are a safe environment for our students, Wells said. This is not a school issue … the fentanyl came from somebodys house … I ask our parents to take charge. Its here and its real.”
TMX contributed to this article.
