Casper Woman Arrested After Newborn Baby Tests Positive for Methamphetamine
A woman was arrested Friday after allegedly admitting to using methamphetamine while pregnant.
Heather Hartman, 32, was booked on a felony charge of child endangerment with methamphetamine and a misdemeanor charge of use of a controlled substance.
Court documents say a Wyoming Department of Family Services agent asked a Casper police officer to assist after a doctor at Wyoming Medical Center called the agent about a baby born on Monday, Feb. 20.
The baby was reportedly born "very" prematurely via emergency C-section and had to be taken by life flight to Denver Children's Hospital, where doctors called DFS and said the baby's blood tested positive for methamphetamine.
The DFS agent talked to Hartman on the phone, and Hartman agreed to meet with authorities, court documents say.
In an interview, Hartman allegedly admitted to using methamphetamine while pregnant. She reportedly said she snorted meth every two weeks, having last used at about 11 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23. Hartman allegedly said she used in her vehicle before going back inside her home to care for another child.
Hartman said she knew what she had done was wrong and she was not happy with her choices, according to an affidavit. She reportedly gave an officer permission to search her bedroom and car.
The search did not turn up any controlled substance, but Hartman agreed to a urine test which tested positive for methamphetamine.
Officers note the positive urine test on Feb. 24 and the baby's birth on Feb. 20 indicate Hartman used methamphetamine while she was pregnant.
Hartman also reportedly said she drove a child to school less than 10 hours after snorting methamphetamine.