A 59-year-old babysitter from Okeechobee County, Florida, has been arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and adulterating food or drink after authorities say she poisoned an 11-month-old baby with antifreeze.
The suspect, Anna M. Adamo, allegedly fed the infant milk contaminated with ethylene glycol, the main chemical in antifreeze, on February 12, 2025, according to court records. The child was hospitalized in critical condition after testing positive for crystal oxalate, a substance linked to antifreeze poisoning.
According to the police report, the baby’s mother dropped her son off at Adamo’s home that morning. The infant, who could not yet crawl or feed himself, had been given two bottles of breast milk and solid food. Throughout the day, Adamo texted the mother, saying the child was fine and later that she was putting him down for a nap.
When the baby’s grandmother picked him up around midafternoon, she noticed he was unusually drowsy. Within hours, the baby began vomiting a clear, sticky fluid that smelled strange. His mother rushed him to HCA Raulerson Medical Center, where doctors suspected pneumonia or the flu before transferring him to HCA Lawnwood Medical Center and later to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami.
Doctors determined the child had gone into cardiac arrest and required ten minutes of CPR before being stabilized. Further testing revealed ethylene glycol poisoning, ruling out any genetic disorder. The infant was eventually released after a week in the hospital.
Investigators executed a search warrant at Adamo’s home, where they found two jugs of antifreeze in the garage—one opened with roughly two and a half cups missing. While initial DNA tests on the jugs were inconclusive, further analysis is pending.
Police also discovered messages from Adamo stating she fed the baby a one-ounce bottle of milk, despite the mother confirming she only provided two bottles of 3.5 ounces each. Detectives later uncovered a disturbing connection to a 2014 Department of Children and Families investigation, where another child in Adamo’s care reportedly showed symptoms consistent with antifreeze poisoning.
No charges were filed at the time. During her recent interrogation, Adamo denied wrongdoing but refused to answer further questions without her husband present. Investigators said she showed “no concern for the welfare of the child.” Adamo was arrested in Georgia and extradited to Florida, where she remains in custody at the Okeechobee County Jail awaiting trial.