FORT PIERCE, Fla. (WPEC) — A violent scene inside the cafeteria of a Florida school resulted in marijuana possession and distribution allegations against two students, ages 12 and 13, court documents show.
According to the juvenile arrest affidavits, a member of the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office saw a girl hit a school employee after coming out of the bathroom at Dan McCarty Middle School in Fort Pierce. The highly redacted affidavits painted a scene of a person who was “enraged (and) out of control” attacking someone who could not defend themselves.
The deputy stated he was able to break them apart and described the assailant’s behavior as “out of character because she has never behave(d) in such a way.” Soon, the report recounted, other students gathered, saying she may have ingested a THC gummy. According to the deputy, she later revealed to him that she had.
Other students told the deputy about gummies having been sold at the school. One student also reported that the two students who were selling them had passed them off to another student during the situation in the cafeteria. The plan was reportedly to return them when the three shared a class later in the day.
While reviewing the surveillance footage from the cafeteria, the deputy spotted the other student being given one package and then another, the affidavit stated. The deputy reported tests of the contents of each packet came up positive for THC.
Both suspects taken into custody denied ever having them or giving them out, the affidavit noted. Other students’ statements, however, allegedly pointed to them.
In a letter sent to parents from Principal Latricia Stubbs, she said four students ended up at the hospital as a precaution.
Dr. Wendy Stephan, with Florida’s Poison Control Centers, said the THC gummies are behind an alarming increase in phone calls to her office.
This year alone, Poison Control has treated more than 200 minors for ingesting marijuana gummies. That’s a 15% jump from this time last year.
The latest incident comes just weeks after Oak Hammock School in Port St. Lucie rushed five kids to the hospital for the same reason. The school ended up suspending 10 students.
Some of their parents claim their kids thought the gummies were nothing more than candy.
It’s extremely frustrating. You think these kids at school are her friends, and she’s accepting candy from her friends, and it’s THC; she tested positive for THC,” a mother told WPEC.
Experts advise those who use THC gummies for medical reasons to take steps to hide them from children.
“You want to secure it. So, you know, for an older kid that’s not going to be a cabinet lock, that’s probably going to look something like a safe, it can be a. Something like a safe, it can be a metal-sided safe, it can be a lock box or a lock bag,” Dr. Stephan said.
The boys are accused of possession of marijuana and distribution within 1,000 feet of a school. they were released to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
The incident at Dan McCarty remains under investigation. Deputies said it’s possible the gummies sold to students could have contained something more dangerous than just THC.
If you think your child may have eaten too many gummies, or maybe they’re acting strange or unusual, you can call Florida’s Poison Control Centers at 1-800-222-1222. Their services are free and confidential.
Be the first to comment