Police in California arrested a mother who allegedly gave her baby alcohol to keep the child from crying. The woman, identified as 37-year-old Honesti De La Torre, was in her car when she reportedly pulled over to fill the baby's bottle.
Paramedics transferred the drunk baby, identified by the San Bernadino Sheriff's Department as 7 weeks old, to a local hospital. Medical personnel determined the infant was intoxicated. Police are asking for more details to determine what happened.
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The investigation led to De La Torre.
A release from the San Bernadino Sheriff's Department stated that around 12:45 a.m. on August 5, deputies were called to a hospital to investigate a suspicious situation involving an intoxicated infant.
"The investigation showed the child's mother, Honesti De La Torre, drove through the unincorporated area of Rialto. De La Torre stopped to put alcohol in a baby bottle and gave it to the child to stop the child from crying," the release stated.
Deputies arrested De La Torre.
After reviewing the case details, De La Torre was arrested, charged with child endangerment, and booked into the West Valley Detention Center. The New York Post reported the mother is being held on a $60,000 bond.
People in the community were horrified.
Peter Perez posted the news release in the Facebook group What is going on in San Bernardino County. The story made several people upset.
"Let's hope she NEVER gets this babe back!" one person wrote.
"I truly hope not," a woman replied. "Hopefully the baby has loving family that can take her in and keep her away from that evil birth giver."
"She should've asked for help from somewhere or someone," another person commented. "NO EXCUSE FOR PUTTING ALCOHOL IN A BABY BOTTLE TO GET THE BABY TO SLEEP!!!!!! PRAYING FOR THE BABY."
Sadly, this is not the first time police have found an infant under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
In early June 2023, Yahir Jesus Saldana, 20, and Stephany Abundis, 19, were arrested when police raided an alleged crack house in Brownsville, Texas, and found their baby intoxicated. The home reportedly had a strong smell of marijuana, and when police found the baby, he was "dazed and confused," according to a report by KVEO.
Abundis was reportedly pregnant at the time. The outlet also reported another child was in the home but did not open the door because he was afraid to let police in.
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Alcohol is not healthy for pregnant women or infants.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises pregnant women should never drink alcohol.
"There is no known safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy or while trying to get pregnant. There is also no safe time for alcohol use during pregnancy. All types of alcohol are equally harmful, including all wines and beer," the CDC says.
Alcohol passes from the mother's blood to the fetus through the umbilical cord, the CDC explains. This can cause complications, including miscarriage, stillbirth, and lifelong physical, behavioral, and intellectual difficulties. These disabilities, called fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, can be devastating.
The CDC also warns against drinking alcohol while breastfeeding. The alcohol can pass from the mother to the infant and can be harmful. The CDC recommends no more than one drink per day for breastfeeding mothers and they should wait at least two hours before nursing.
"The alcohol level in breast milk is essentially the same as the alcohol level in a mother's bloodstream. Expressing or pumping milk after drinking alcohol, and then discarding it ('pumping and dumping'), does NOT reduce the amount of alcohol present in the mother's milk more quickly. As the mother's alcohol blood level falls over time, the level of alcohol in her breast milk will also decrease," the CDC explains.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
*Disclaimer: The advice on CafeMom.com is not a substitute for consultation with a medical professional or treatment for a specific condition. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified professional. Please contact your health-care provider with questions and concerns.
