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- UPDATE: A 9-month-old Wyckoff boy who ingested a methadone-like drug, which caused swelling of his brain, has been released from Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City and is in the care of foster parents, Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli confirmed. READ MORE ….
The unresponsive baby was brought to the Valley Hospital last Saturday with small bruises on his forehead after Wyckoff police got a 911 call, Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli said this morning.
The prosecutor said that detectives who went to the Harvey Court home of Tara Bradbury, 23, found Suboxone, an expensive high-tech drug used to treat heroin and Dilaudid dependency that experts say can itself become addicting – and cause brain damage. It’s been called “the rich man’s methadone.”
Investigators also found drug paraphernalia, Molinelli said.
Bradbury and her boyfriend, Mark Tomat, both told authorities they had no idea what happened to the baby, the prosecutor said.
However, Valley medical staff told investigators that the boy “responded favorably when given a drug identified as Narcan, which is administered to counteract the effect of opiates in the system,” Molinelli said.
Detectives then found deleted messages on Bradbury’s and Tomat’s cellphones “indicating they were both aware the child had ingested narcotics and their intention to deny any knowledge of that,” the prosecutor said.
Tomat was arrested on Tuesday at his Mahwah home and Bradbury the following day in New York City, Molinelli said. She later waived extradition and was returned to New Jersey.
She posted $250,000 bail and was released, jail records show.
Tomat remained held on the same amount in the Bergen County Jail.
The couple, who are both single and unemployed, have first court appearances scheduled for this coming Wednesday.
MUGSHOTS: Courtesy BERGEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE
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