A shocking case of alleged child abuse unfolded at a Mobile County elementary school after a four-year-old girl was hospitalized with near-lethal alcohol poisoning, leading to the arrest of a preschool teacher.
It began on the afternoon of Monday, April 28, during nap time in Ms. Tracy Walker’s classroom at Collins-Rhodes Elementary School in Prichard, Alabama. What had started as a normal, activity-filled day for the children quickly took a disturbing turn.
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According to Mobile County Sheriff’s Deputy Lonnie Parsons, a teacher’s aide entered the room during nap time and noticed something unusual about one of the children. “Whenever she didn’t wake up first, she felt something was off,” Parsons said. “They tried to wake her up, but she was very sluggish. She could not stand up without assistance.”
The child appeared extremely lethargic, prompting immediate concern. The school nurse was summoned, followed by a call to the child’s family. She was rushed to a hospital in Saraland and later transferred to the Uthe SA Children and Women’s Hospital, where she remained for two and a half days, according to local Fox affiliate WALA.
Doctors soon discovered the source of her condition—an astonishing blood alcohol content of 0.286. “To put that into perspective, that is five times the legal limit for an adult,” said Parsons. “This comes close to a lethal amount of alcohol, especially for a small child. The fact that she survived is truly amazing.”
Investigators questioned the child, who revealed that her teacher, 56-year-old Tracy Walker, had given her a drink that made her feel sick. Based on this statement and the medical findings, Walker was arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse. She remains in custody at Mobile Metro Jail.
Deputy Parsons expressed serious concern over how Walker came to possess the beverage and why she allegedly gave it to a student. “We’re trying to figure out why this teacher even had this—and why would she give it to a student?”
Though Walker had no prior police record, the sheriff’s office is investigating previous complaints. “We were told complaints were made about this particular teacher,” Parsons added, though he declined to provide further details, citing an ongoing investigation.
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Mobile County Public Schools confirmed in a statement: “We take all allegations seriously. The teacher was placed on administrative leave when this allegation was first made. We have been cooperating with law enforcement on the investigation, and we will continue working with them.”
Authorities are urging any parents whose children may have had contact with Walker and exhibited unusual behavior to come forward. Investigators are still working to identify the beverage in question.
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