Parents of 2-year-old face child abuse charges after child consumed ‘toxic level’ of methadone

 A 2-year-old may survive but could be “neurologically devastated,” doctors told detectives, after he swallowed a toxic level of the narcotic methadone at home, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metro Court on Wednesday.

His parents, Anthony and Annette Martinez, face child abuse charges. They are in jail, with bail set at $100,000, cash only, according to jail records.

Methadone is a pain reliever used to prevent withdrawal symptoms in patients who were addicted to opiate drugs.

Aaron Williamson, BCSO spokesman, said that Thursday morning, the child was  in the pediatric intensive care unit at Presbyterian in critical but stable condition.
According to the complaint:

On Monday, the Martinezes took their son to Presbyterian urgent care after they found him unresponsive. A urinalysis indicated methadone in his system.

Doctors said he had been suffering the effects of the drug for about 12 hours before his parents took him to urgent care.

During interviews with Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office detectives, the Martinezes admitted to being past heroin addicts and current methadone users.

Annette Martinez, who also uses the name Annette Pamela Romero,  told detectives that she and her husband did not keep the narcotic out of their son’s reach and said it was possible a bottle had been left in his reach in the past week.

They said they threw the bottles away in an effort to keep law enforcement from finding them.

Both Anthony and Annette Martinez face charges of child abuse resulting in great bodily harm, tampering with evidence and conspiracy.