A Newton mother who was charged after her 1-year-old son tested positive for methamphetamine is expected to enter a plea on Monday.
Vanessa L. Trotter, 23, and her boyfriend Cody Sanders, 27, were charged with child endangerment in April 2015. The boy tested five times higher for meth than Trotter, according to court documents.
Trotter’s plea hearing is scheduled for Monday at the Jasper County Courthouse. Sanders, who pleaded not guilty and waived his right to a speedy trial, is also scheduled to appear in court Monday for a pretrial conference.
The Newton Police Department issued a warrant for the pair after the Iowa Department of Human Services notified police of the drug screening conducted on the child.
Trotter and Sanders were also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia when they were arrested during a traffic stop. While searching the vehicle, officers found a makeshift pipe used to inhale controlled substances in Trotter’s purse. The two were taken to the Jasper County Jail, where they each posted a $2,300 bond and were released.
Police said the drug screening test, a hair sample, was taken March 27, 2015.
“The case was reported by a citizen to DHS. Without the assistance and awareness of the citizen this child could have easily ended up in the hospital and that could have been our first indication that anything was wrong,” Newton Police Chief Rob Burdess said in an interview last year. “That connection with the community, neighbors and apartment manager was really important in this case.”
Child endangerment is an aggravated misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in prison and a $6,250 fine.
Contact Abigail Pelzer at 641-792-3121 ext. 6530 or apelzer@newtondailynews.com