Police say an Indiana man did not get help for his young son after the boy accidentally ingested crystal meth.
Detectives said the 8-year-old ate his father’s meth, thinking it was cereal.
"Anybody that is a parent, you know, would be emotionally upset. It kind of hits home if you have kids,” Det. Tom Barker with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said.
According to documents on June 21, Curtis Collman III told his father he was hungry.
That’s when detectives believe the child started eating what he thought was cereal on a plate.
Instead, he was eating his father’s crystal meth, consuming 180 times the lethal limit.
"Just, your worst nightmare as a parent,” Jackson County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Jeffrey Chalfant said.
But prosecutors said his father Curtis Collman II, who should have come to his aid, did just the opposite.
They claim Collman threatened his friend at gunpoint if she called for help and stopped his own parents from call 911 too.
All the while, the boy was having seizures and convulsing. By the time they were able to call for help, it was too late.
"An 8-year-old child more than likely suffered for many hours. It upsets you,” Det. Barker said.
Collman’s previous record includes trafficking and sexual misconduct with a minor.
In court, Collman asked for a bond reduction so he can wait for trial at home. Authorities said they will fight to keep Collman behind bars.
He also faces charges for pointing a firearm, theft and failure to register as a sex offender.
