Delaware Mother Arrested After Daughter Shared Heroin At Day Care Confusing It For Candy

A mother of a 4-year-old girl was arrested after the child shared packets of heroin to other children at a local day care center, the Delaware State Police said. According to reports, the girl had found the white substance in her mother’s backpack and confused it for candy.

The 30-year-old mother, identified as Ashley Tull, was reportedly charged with maintaining a drug property and with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child. The incident reportedly took place Monday at the Hickory Tree Child Care Center in Selbyville, a town in Sussex County, Delaware. The child brought the packets of heroin into the childcare "in a backpack that her mother gave her after hers had become ruined by the family pet sometime through the night," Delaware State Police said, in a statement. A total of 249 packets of heroin were reportedly found in the backpack.

"None of the packets were opened by any of the kids," Master Cpl. Gary E. Fournier said Monday night, according to USA Today.

Fournier also reportedly said that the girl “unknowingly” brought the heroin to the day care and “thinking the packets were candy, she began passing them out to her classmates."

Police reportedly said that "the white powdery substance, which was still enclosed in the bags, was removed by the teachers and immediately taken to the Selbyville Police Department where it was determined to be heroin."

Several children who came in contact with the packets of heroin were reportedly taken to nearby hospitals and were examined as a precautionary measure.

Tull, who also has a 9-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl, was arraigned and released on $6,000 bail. According to local reports, police officials are investigating the case and Tull could face more charges.