Two bizarre drug incidents endanger young children in California

Two bizarre incidents Monday in California involve young kids and drugs.

In Berkeley, a woman faces attempted homicide charges after allegedly shoving methamphetamine into a child’s mouth Monday afternoon at People’s Park. And in Los Angeles, a toy vending machine at a taqueria dispensed cocaine to a young boy Monday.

In the Berkeley incident, authorities say a 2year-old boy was with his nanny Monday afternoon at a play structure at People’s Park when 36-year-old Sayyadina Thomas walked up to the child and placed something in his mouth, reports The Associated Press.

The nanny immediately checked, but found nothing in the boy’s mouth. The nanny called university police to report the incident and officers took Thomas into custody for psychiatric evaluation.

Police say Thomas admitted to giving the boy the drugs, which she told him was candy. KTVU reports the child is recovering at a hospital.

In Los Angeles, a putty ball dispensed by a toy vending machine crumbled in a boy’s hands Monday, spilling out cocaine, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The boy’s mother called police, who arrived and tested the white powder, which was positive for the drug. Police opened the machine and found 136 grams, or just under 5 ounces, of cocaine bundled into other little packages, the Bell Gardens Police Department said in a statement.

Officials said a phone number on the side of the machine was registered to Snack Time Vending company. A woman who answered the phone at that number Wednesday morning told The Times that her company owned two other machines in the restaurant but not the one that contained the cocaine.

“We’re getting a bad rap,” said the woman, who declined to give her name.

She said that her company’s name was listed on a nearby vending machine so police assumed they were all connected.

Regardless, police said any businesses using Snack Time Vending machines should remove them immediately and call detectives.