SUMMERS COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Two parents are charged after their young child overdosed, but lied and said the child choked on a sugar cookie and milk.
According to Hinton Police, shortly after midnight on November 11, EMS responded to a one-year-old child choking and another breathing normally. Summers County ARH medical professionals told officers they had to give the child Narcan. When speaking to both parents, the father, Andrew Vandall, stated that his daughter choked on a sugar cookie and milk. Andrew said he gave his daughter some milk and laid her down after she started choking. Police say that when they tried to question the mother, Melinda Vandall, her husband would interrupt and answer the questions.
The parents say that Andrew’s mother was watching the kids while they went to look at a vehicle for sale. The child was transported to Charleston for further treatment. While loading the child, the mother said she needed to use the restroom, but she instead started smoking a cigarette.
Andrew Vandall told police that he and his wife had been clean from drugs for six months. He did say a friend used drugs and would come over but wasn’t allowed inside. When police told Andrew that his child had overdosed, he started blaming the friend for bringing the illegal drugs.
Police went to the home with Andrew and observed the sugar cookie on the counter the child allegedly choked on, along with the milk. Vandall said he, his wife, and four kids live at the home.
CAMC notified police that the one-year-old had methamphetamine and fentanyl in their system. CAMC also informed police that the mother, Melinda Vandall, overdosed while in the care of the child at CAMC.
Andrew and Melinda Vandall are both charged with felony child neglect.
