NBC News – An Alabama toddler has been placed in foster care after a video showing the boy's mother apparently high on synthetic marijuana went viral.
The Mobile County Sheriff's Office arrested Lauren Brooke Englett, 18, after she was recorded while allegedly high as her son stood nearby crying.
"What's disturbing is a mother using the drugs, ignoring the child, a child walking around on a balcony," said Lori Myles with the Mobile County Sheriff's Office. "We see the state of the other two people there, anything could happen to that child and they would not even be aware of it."
The Mobile County District Attorney's Office says DHR became aware of the video in December, took the toddler out of Englett's care and placed him in the care of Englett's mother. The sheriff's office says after the video became viral last week, it launched its own investigation and performed a site check last Tuesday. Myles says Englett was living with her mother, which was unauthorized contact with her child. Saturday, the child was placed in foster care.
"Should DHR have reported this earlier to law enforcement when it became apparent that a child was obviously in this kind of situation? There was video documentation of it." asked Ramey.
"DHR's responsibility is the safety of the child, and as far as they're concerned, they removed the child from the mother and put him in the care of the grandmother. I think they will be best to answer for this," replied Myles.
Local 15 News asked DHR why wasn't law enforcement notified earlier? A spokesperson from DHR reports that when drug use is suspected in the home, law enforcement is notified, however DHR could not confirm or deny whether that was done in this case because they cannot comment on ongoing cases.
Two other people, the other person seen in the video and the person who took the video, also face charges of reckless endangerment.