HOUSTON – A Brazoria County grand jury has indicted a Freeport woman in connection with the 2017 death of her 22-month-old son.
Police said the toddler, Malachi Ray Donley, had synthetic marijuana in his system, according to toxicology results from the autopsy.
Kaysie Lynn Broaddus, 23, called 911 on Oct. 2 when she found the boy unresponsive. Freeport police performed CPR and an ambulance transported him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Detectives said synthetic marijuana found at the home in the 700 block of North Avenue B matched the drug found in Malachi's bloodstream.
"It's more than just second-hand smoke, it's possible he ingested it," said Freeport police Chief Ray Garivey.
Broaddus has been in the Brazoria County Jail on an unrelated drug charge since April 10 and was indicted for injury to a child on Thursday.
Broaddus' sister told Channel 2 News Kaysie was a good mother despite her drug use.
"She was a wonderful mother to that kid, she really was. She did not intentionally hurt that child she would never intentionally hurt that child," Kristi Broaddus said.
Kaysie Broaddus remains behind bars on $100,000 bond. If convicted, she faces up to 99 years in prison.