PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — A Florida woman is accused of child abuse after a 4-year-old boy she was caring for was found bruised and with Xanax and Nyquil in his system, authorities said.
Brianna Elizabeth Sniegowski, 31, of Tarpon Springs, was arrested on Monday and charged with cruelty toward a child and child abuse without great bodily harm, according to Pasco County online court records.
According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, Sniegowski was responsible for the child’s well-being when he was taken to a Tampa hospital on Oct. 9, WFLA-TV reported. Deputies said the boy was slipping in and out of consciousness and had several bruises that were visible to medical personnel, in addition to scratches on his head, neck and back, according to the television station.
A toxicology report indicated that the child had been injected with Xanax and “a significant amount” of Nyquil according to an online complaint affidavit.
Deputies said the boy told them that Sniegowski allegedly shoved him into the edge of a counter “because she was mad” at him, court records show. The victim also reportedly told detectives that Sniegowski hit him several times “while daddy wasn’t home.”
Sniegowski allegedly admitted to giving the child Nyquil and being “irresponsible” with how she stored her Xanax prescription, leaving it within reach of the child, WFLA reported. She denied giving the boy Xanax, according to the television station.
According to the affidavit, the boy appeared to be unharmed on home surveillance camera footage when his father left the residence. However, when the man returned home 20 minutes, later, he found his son injured and lethargic.
Detectives arrested Sniegowski and transported her to the Land O’ Lakes Jail “without incident,” according to the affidavit.
She posted bail of $5,000, according to Pasco County court records.
Sniegowski is expected to appear in court on Nov. 2, online records show.
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