A 30-year-old mom from Delaware has been arrested on drug and child endangerment charges after her 4-year-old daughter was found with 249 bags of heroin in her backpack -- which she reportedly handed out to friends at her day care, thinking it was candy.
Before leaving for day care in the morning, Ashley Tull reportedly handed her daughter a backpack that was different from the usual one she carried, which had recently been destroyed by a family pet. Not long after the little girl got settled in at Hickory Tree Child Care Center, workers say they began noticing many of the young children waving around small packets containing an unknown substance. Imagine their shock when police, who were immediately called in, determined it was, indeed, heroin.
Tull, who also has a 9-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter who live with her, was called to the day care center and questioned by police, who then arrested her. She isn't being charged with drug possession, but she faces charges of maintaining a drug property and endangering the welfare of a child. She has reportedly been released on $6,000 bail, and her children are currently in the custody of a relative.
As for the other children at the day care -- several were taken to local hospitals to be examined as a precautionary measure, but apparently none opened the bags of heroin. Kudos to the workers for acting fast before this turned into a nightmare scenario.
Authorities are still working to determine who the heroin belonged to -- and what part Tull played in its distribution.
It's always sad to hear about a person who has ruined his or her life because of drugs, and it's 100 times more terrible to think of a mom or dad who has dragged her or his poor children into this lifestyle. While I believe Tull should be punished for her actions, I question whether a lengthy prison sentence is the way to go, given how she has three young children who depend on her.
What kind of consequence do you find appropriate for this mom?
Image via Delaware State Police