Four-year-old boy pictured in car with parents overdosed on heroin finds new home
Police in East Liverpool recently shared the image on social media
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The four-year-old boy who was pictured sitting in the backseat of a vehicle while his grandmother and her friend passed out from apparent overdoses is heading to a new home.
Police in East Liverpool, Ohio recently shared the photo on Facebook to illustrate the dangers of heroin addiction. Now, the boy is moving in with his great-aunt and uncle in South Carolina, Columbiana County Court Administrator Dane Walton told NBC News on Tuesday.
Mr Walton said that the young boy’s grandmother, 50-year-old Rhonda Pasek, is currently in jail on charges of endangering a child and public intoxication.
She was granted custody of the child just six-week prior to her arrest. The man in the photo, 47-year-old James Lee Acord, was also taken into custody.
Police first pulled over the vehicle after it was swerving on the road. When the officers realized the driver and passenger were barely conscious they administered the life-saving drug Narcan, which reverses the effects of heroin overdoses.
On Facebook, authorities with the city of East Liverpool explained exactly why they shared the graphic images on social media last week.
“We are well aware that some may be offended by these images and for that we are truly sorry, but it is time that the non-drug using public sees what we are now dealing with on a daily basis,” the statement read.
“The poison known as heroin has taken a strong grip on many communities not just ours, the difference is we are willing to fight this problem until it's gone and if that means we offend a few people along the way we are prepared to deal with that.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.