Parents arrested after infant overdoses, stops breathing in Gaston County
A couple in Bessemer City was arrested after their 8-month-old infant overdosed, lost consciousness and stopped breathing, Gaston County police said Tuesday.
Kayla Wilhelm, 29, and Bobby McKinney, 33, were arrested Monday on felony charges including child abuse, maintaining a vehicle or place for controlled substances, and two counts of possession with intent to manufacture or sell controlled substances.
The parents were also charged with misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
Police have not said how the infant overdosed on July 27, but said the baby was taken to the hospital for treatment and is now in recovery.
The North Carolina Division of Public Health reported that Gaston County had one of the highest overdose death rates in the state in 2024. The overdose death rate was 50.6 residents out of 100,000 in 2024, with the county seeing 120 deaths.
NCDHHS also reported the county had one of the highest precentages of children in foster care due to parental substance abuse in 2024. There were 387 children in foster care, with 71.7% in foster care because of parental substance abuse.
Wilhelm and McKinney are being held at Gaston County Jail without bond.
A Gaston County police detective declined to answer questions when contacted by The Charlotte Observer Tuesday.
