The mother of a five-year-old boy has been charged after he drank juice that allegedly contained methamphetamine in Riviera Beach, Florida.
The incident happened on Sunday afternoon inside an apartment building in the 2400 block of Beach Court where officials found rotting food and trash littering the dwelling, NBC News reported Wednesday.
An image shows the suspect in the case:
Boy, five, dies after drinking mother's apple juice that was 'laced with meth' https://t.co/FwXNhRoqm9
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) April 3, 2025
The Riviera Beach Police Department said officers responded when a report came in about a child not breathing at the location. When they arrived at the scene, they found paramedics tending him.
A babysitter said after the child drank a bottle of apple juice he claimed it “tasted weird” and spit out the liquid. However, the child then reportedly shivered, shook, and was cold to the touch. He also allegedly began sweating and broke out in a rash.
The babysitter also claimed the child stopped moving and his head was tilted down. Therefore, the babysitter performed CPR on the boy to try and help him. However, he vomited a black substance and appeared to have a seizure.
According to law enforcement, the child was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition after ingesting methamphetamine. He died as a result of the incident and a toxicology test showed he tested positive for methamphetamine.
The incident happened inside a building that is a hotel where the family was staying, per WPTV.
“Police officers questioned the boy’s mother, Heather Opsincs, 37, who claimed she did not recently consume any recreational drugs and never used illegal drugs, authorities said. However, she failed a field drug test and tested positive for methamphetamines twice, they said,” the NBC article continued, noting officials obtained a search warrant for the dwelling and found several glass cylinder pipes that tested positive for meth.
Officers arrested the mother and charged her with neglect aggravated manslaughter in the case. Following her court appearance on March 25, the suspect was held in jail with a bond set at $100,000.
On Friday, WPTV reported she appeared for a pre-trial detention hearing and the judge decided she would be allowed to leave jail with certain restrictions.
She will be subject to random drug testing at her expense, is barred from consuming drugs and alcohol, and must appear in court every other week.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) website explains how methamphetamine can affect a person’s body.
“Highly addictive, Agitation, increased heart rate and blood pressure, increased respiration and body temperature, Anxiety, paranoia, High doses can cause convulsions, cardiovascular collapse, stroke or death,” the agency said.
