The man who reportedly mixed bleach into his infant daughter's formula on Sunday morning said he was only trying to help her breathe easier with a home remedy he heard about from a friend.
Carron Washington, 20, spoke to about a dozen members of the media Monday afternoon in a hastily called news conference that was ended abruptly by a member of the Marion County Public Defender's Office.
"It's probably the dumbest decision I've made in my life," Washington said before the meeting ended.
Washington said his daughter, Cadlynn, had suffered from breathing problems since her birth on Dec. 14.
The girl was born with her esophagus detached from her stomach, which required surgery.
Washington said he would never intentionally hurt his daughter and only added less than a capful of bleach to about two ounces of her formula because a friend from school told him she used the remedy with her child.
Washington, who said he is a "pre-med" student at the College of Central Florida, said the friend was a classmate.
While old home remedies involving kerosene, whiskey and even urine are abundant, ingesting bleach is not common.
The girl's mother, Therese Roberts, was upset when Washington admitted he gave the girl bleach.
"The last time I talked to her was that night, before I got arrested... I told her I did it. She was emotional about it," said the soft-spoken Washington.
The baby was listed in stable condition at Shands at the University of Florida in Gainesville on Monday afternoon, according to Lt. Billy Woods of the Ocala Police Department. Attempts Monday to reach Roberts or members of her family were not successful.
Washington and Roberts live in separate units at the Sutton Place Apartments in the 500 block of Northeast 23rd Circle. Washington was staying at Roberts' apartment to help care for their baby.
On Saturday night and Sunday morning, the baby was fussy. After waking up at 1 a.m. Sunday, Washington put the bleach in the bottle and fed the child some of the formula, according to OPD reports.
The child vomited some of the liquid and started to cry. "I panicked. I immediately called 911, called my parents, called her parents and started crying," Washington said. The child was rushed to Munroe Regional Medical Center and then to Shands. Initially, Washington denied putting the bleach in the bottle, OPD reports state.
"I was scared of losing her. I didn't think of all the cons," he said. "It's probably the dumbest decision I've made in my life." Just more than five minutes after Washington began talking to the media, an unidentified woman with the Public Defender's Office quickly announced the interview was over and hustled Washington out of the room.
Just before the interview was interrupted, Washington professed his love for his daughter and said he hoped he would be able to see her again soon. "If I can love anyone as God love us, that's pretty much how much I love her," he said. "I'll do whatever I have to do to see her."
Washington is being held without bond at the Marion County Jail on a charge of domestic aggravated child abuse.
What is wrong with people the baby could have died, I hope they lock his ass up for a long time.
ReplyDeleteHe has a mental problem it's all in his eyes.
ReplyDeleteI worked at the CDC and you'd be surprised at the things that happens to new young parents that have listened to some older person regarding home remedies.
ReplyDeleteHoney Although it is sweet tasting, honey should never be given to infants less than a year of age because it may cause a rare type of food poisoning (infant botulism).
Refrigerated Formula Formula can become contaminated during preparation. If a large quantity of formula is prepared and not properly refrigerated, bacteria can multiply to very large numbers. The more bacteria there are, the greater the chances for foodborne illness. It’s important to keep the temperature of your refrigerator at or below 40° F.
Don't put a bottle back in the refrigerator if the baby doesn't finish it. Harmful bacteria from a baby's mouth can be introduced into the bottle during feeding; they can grow and multiply even after refrigeration (some bacteria can grow at refrigerator temperatures) and reheating.
Don't feed a baby from a jar of baby food and then put it in the refrigerator. Saliva on the spoon may contaminate the remaining food. Instead, put a serving size on a dish. Refrigerate the food remaining in the jar. Throw away the food in the serving dish that's not eaten.
Don't give raw unpasteurized fruit or vegetable juice to infants or young children. Unpasteurized milk or juice may contain harmful bacteria. Unpasteurized juices are normally found in the refrigerated sections of grocery stores, health-food stores, cider mills, or farm markets.
Don't microwave baby foods in the jar. When baby food is microwaved in a jar, it's often heated unevenly. The hottest places are in the center of the foods. The coolest places are next to the glass sides, which could lead you to believe that the food is not too hot. Instead, transfer the food to a dish before microwaving it. This way the food can be stirred and taste-tested for temperature.
Good info, some of this i've heard and some I haven't. Thanks! Even though my baby making days are over. LOL
DeleteWhere in the hell that idiot hear this holistic voodoo bleach bullshit at?
ReplyDeleteLol@hollistic voodoo bullshit
DeleteHe might as well can his future in the medical field.
ReplyDeleteThe way he is sitting in that chair make me think he is a bit on the sweet side. Bubba & the boys will find out.
I feel it was a mistake dam-n the boy is young.
ReplyDelete