Des Moines woman gets probation for giving infant, who later died, large dose of Benadryl

The Des Moines Register

A Des Moines mother has pleaded guilty to child endangerment after she gave her 6-month-old son large amounts of Benadryl before he died in January.

Latyia Johnson, 34, pleaded guilty to child endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor, last week. She was sentenced to two years in prison, which was suspended, placing her on probation for two years, court records show.

Johnson was arrested in April and initially charged with child endangerment resulting in death, a class B felony punishable by up to 50 years in prison.

In her plea agreement, Johnson said she failed to give the child his seizure medication and gave him other drugs without consulting a physician.

Police responded to an emergency medical call just after 1 a.m. Jan. 24 at Motel Relax, an extended stay motel at 7625 Hickman Road in Urbandale. The caller told police the boy was not breathing and was having severe medical issues.

The infant, Chance Dupree Alexander, died less than an hour after he was taken to the Blank Children's Hospital. An autopsy showed his system had high levels of diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in sleep aids and allergy medications.

In an interview with police, Johnson admitted to giving her son two 10 milliliter doses of Benadryl, according to a criminal complaint. Police said the average dose of Benadryl for a child weighing between 11 and 16 pounds is 2.5 milliliters.

The label on Children’s Benadryl warns it should not be used to make a child sleepy. The label also states the medication should only be used in children ages 2 to 5 if directed to do so by a doctor.

Johnson also told police she gave her son Children's Tylenol and fed him 3 to 4 ounces of Similac Advance formula with baby rice cereal before giving him a pacifier and going to sleep. When she woke up around 1 a.m., he was unresponsive and not breathing.

As part of her deposition, Johnson was fined $625 plus surcharge, which was suspended because of her financial status, court records show.

She was ordered to participate in the Victim-Offender Reconciliation Program, initiated by the Polk County Attorney's Office in 1991, to discuss the crime and restitution amounts with any victims. She was also ordered to have no contact with two people listed in court records as her biological children until 2023.

A non-jury trial was set for Monday before Johnson pleaded guilty. She nor her public defender could not immediately be reached for comment.

Recent crime news: