2 York County children test positive for drugs; Mother charged, police say
A York County mother is charged with child abuse and neglect after her children tested positive for drugs, deputies said.
Jacquelyn Nicole Page, 24, of Rock Hill, was arrested Sunday, said Trent Faris, spokesman for the York County Sheriff’s Office.
Page’s children, ages 3 and 6 months old, tested positive for meth and heroin in toxicology screening mandated by South Carolina officials during a S.C. Department of Social Services investigation, according to Faris and sheriff’s office documents.
After DSS officials were notified of the positive test results, detectives initiated an investigation and charged Page, Faris said.
The children have been placed in the custody of family members, deputies said.
The sheriff’s office has a team of investigators that handle child endangerment cases. Sixteenth Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett, whose office prosecutes the criminal cases against parents charged with narcotics use, said the safety of the children in these cases is the top priority.
Police in York County, Rock Hill, Tega Cay, Clover and York have charged at least 18 parents since July 2018 after children tested positive for narcotics, according to police and court records.
Child abuse or neglect is a felony in South Carolina that carries a potential punishment of up to 10 years in prison for each charge, state law shows.
Page remains in the York County Detention Center under a $10,000 bond, jail records show.
This story was originally published May 11, 2020 at 2:11 PM.
