North Carolina

NC mom passed out at Aldi. Liquid fentanyl found in baby’s cup, sheriff says.

Union County deputies found liquid fentanyl in an infant’s drinking cup after discovering the baby’s mother passed out in a car in an Aldi’s parking lot, the sheriff’s office said this week.
Union County deputies found liquid fentanyl in an infant’s drinking cup after discovering the baby’s mother passed out in a car in an Aldi’s parking lot, the sheriff’s office said this week.

Union County deputies found liquid fentanyl in an infant’s drinking cup after discovering the baby’s mother passed out in a car in an Aldi’s parking lot, the sheriff’s office said this week.

Gabriel Ball was passed out in the driver’s seat of her running car when deputies arrived at the store in Indian Trail, the sheriff’s office said in a public statement on Facebook on Thursday.

Ball’s 15-month-old child was found unrestrained in the vehicle, investigators said. The baby was taken to a hospital for possible exposure to dangerous drugs and appears to be doing well, according to the sheriff’s office.

Investigators said they were called to the Aldi’s late last week. Deputies awakened Ball and also found Xanax in the vehicle, the statement said.

According to deputies, Ball was charged with driving while impaired, felony child abuse, misdemeanor child abuse, felony probation violation and two counts of drug possession.

Ball remained jailed Friday on a $105,000 secured bond, investigators said.

Investigators asked anyone with information about the case to call the sheriff’s office at 704-283-3789 or Union County Crime Stoppers at 704-283-5600.

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Joe Marusak
The Charlotte Observer
Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news. Support my work with a digital subscription
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