Heroin-overdosed woman jailed for endangering grandchild

Ohio, September 16

A grandmother photographed in a car with her boyfriend after overdosing on heroin as her four-year-old grandson sat in the backseat, has pleaded no contest to a child endangering charge.

Rhonda Pasek, 50, of Liverpool in Ohio, was sentenced to 180 days in jail on Thursday and her boyfriend, 47-year-old James Acord, received 360 days in jail last week after pleading no contest to child endangering and operating a vehicle under the influence.

The photo, taken by East Liverpool police, of Pasek and her companion went viral after being posted on the city’s Facebook page on Septeber 8.

The child’s mother, Reva McCullough, 25, was anguished to see her son in a daze as the adults who were supposed to be taking care of him were unconscious in their car, Daily Mail UK reported.

McCullough lost custody of the boy in December 2012 due to drug abuse, about four and a half months before he was born.

Pasek’s sister told NBC that the city of Liverpool had humiliated her family and her young grand nephew.

“They could have blurred his face and they didn’t. And now they’re taking him away from my sister. I’m not condoning what Rhonda has done, but what they did to her and what they’re doing to her grandson is too much,” she said asking to remain anonymous.

Several days after Pasek was arrested on September 7, custody of the boy was awarded to his great aunt and uncle, who live in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, officials said. — IANS