Mom's drug use contributed to infant's near-drowning, police say


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SOUTH OGDEN — A woman was arrested after police say her drug use contributed to the near drowning of an 11-month-old baby.

The baby girl was hospitalized Jan. 24 after her mother called paramedics and reported she had swallowed bath water. While responding, police discovered drugs and paraphernalia in the home, Weber County Sheriff's Lt. Dwight Ruth said.

The baby's mother, Diseree Hoopes, 31, seemed disoriented when talking to police, had slurred speech and at times didn't make sense, Ruth said.

"She herself said at one point that she may have fallen asleep while she was giving this child a bath," the lieutenant said.

There were four children in the home, the youngest of which — the 11-month-old baby and her twin, as well as a 7-year-old — all tested positive for cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana and metabolites, according to charges filed in 2nd District Court Thursday.

Hoopes had been breastfeeding the infants while allegedly using drugs. Drugs and paraphernalia were found in Hoopes' bedroom, where she cared for the children, and near the crib the babies shared, according to police.

All four children were taken into protective custody in January, Ruth said. The baby involved in the near-drowning has since made a full recovery.

"We know that they were exposed, but we don't know to what extent they were exposed and for how long," Ruth said. "We have had them looked at medically. … There hasn't been any long-term damage that we have been able to identify as of yet."

Children in homes where drugs are being used face both immediate physical dangers and potential long-term psychological and behavioral issues, according to Elizabeth Sollis, Utah Department of Human Services communication director.

Children brought into state custody are evaluated for both medical and psychological needs, Sollis said.


She herself said at one point that she may have fallen asleep while she was giving this child a bath.

–Weber County Sheriff's Lt. Dwight Ruth


Family members or friends who are concerned about a child's welfare, including in homes where drugs may be present, can contact the Department of Child and Family Services' hotline at 855-323-DCFS (3237). The hotline is available 24-hours a day, and calls are anonymous.

Sollis emphasizes that DCFS' priority is keeping children with their parents whenever possible. A call to DCFS doesn't necessarily mean that legal action will be taken or children will be removed from a home, a fear that sometimes keeps worried friends and family members from reporting their concerns.

"We have been doing a ton of work in Utah to increase in-home services for children and families and services in their communities so that they can stay together," Sollis said.

"I think it's important to remind people that substance use disorder is a disease and that we need to get people help," Sollis said. "If we can get in there early we can prevent so much damage that could take place later on, both in their lives or the lives of children or others who are in their lives."

Hoopes was charged with three counts of permitting a child to be exposed to controlled substance, a third-degree felony, and one count of child abuse, a class A misdemeanor. A search of state court records does not indicate she has faced previous drug-related charges.

Her husband, Steven Ray Hoopes, 32, was also arrested and charged with three counts of permitting a child to be exposed to controlled substance, a third-degree felony.

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McKenzie Romero

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