Background: A section of North 4th Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Google Maps). Inset: Andrea Flex (Hennepin County Sheriff's Office).
A Minneapolis grandmother tasked with babysitting 2-year-old twins was arrested after the kids ate medication they found in her purse, authorities say.
Andrea Flex, 56, has been charged with child neglect or endangerment, Hennepin County Jail records show. The incident occurred over the weekend.
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.
On Sunday, Flex was watching the twins at a home on North 4th Avenue in Minneapolis when one of the girls apparently started having trouble breathing and would not wake up from a nap. Police officers were called to the residence and arrived to find the girl unconscious, and she was rushed to an area hospital.
The girl was brought to the hospital's intensive care unit in critical condition. According to Twin Cities-based ABC affiliate KSTP, about two hours later, officers responded to the same home because the other twin was "in distress." The girl was also having difficulty breathing and had "pinpoint" pupils.
Emergency personnel gave the child Narcan, a brand name for Naloxone, a medication meant to reverse an overdose from opioids. This action is believed to have saved the child's life.
Law enforcement officers tried to uncover what happened to the children, and their investigation focused on Flex. According to local NBC affiliate KARE, officers found methadone in Flex's purse, and the kids also tested positive for the medication.
Methadone is a medication used to help people reduce or quit opioid use, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The second twin to be brought to the hospital is expected to survive, while the first child's status "remains grim," KSTP reported. Flex was released from the Hennepin County Jail on Tuesday.
