Deputies arrest parent for child neglect, find baby near drugs

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 39-year-old woman after finding her 5-month-old son with Down syndrome near a crushed codeine pill.

Deputies responded to a call for a welfare check about the infant before 8 p.m. April 2, and found Andrea Keesling unconscious on a recliner. The child was hungry and needed a diaper change, according to a news release.

Deputies shook Keesling to wake her, and charged her with possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, obstruction and child neglect. The charges carry a $2,500 total bond.