Mom Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Willfully Poisoning 1-Year-Old Son with Medication Not Prescribed to Him

A Nevada mother has been sentenced to prison after being convicted of giving her infant son prescription medication that was not prescribed to him.

Alesha Marie Martin, 25, was sentenced in the Second Judicial District Court on Jan. 13 to a maximum term of 10 years in state prison, according to a Jan. 15 press release from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO). She will be eligible for parole after serving four years.

Martin pleaded guilty to willfully poisoning or adulterating food, water or medicine — a felony offense under Nevada law.

The case stemmed from a WCSO investigation that began in May, after officers received information that a 14-month-old child had suffered “multiple unexplained medical emergencies.” The child was hospitalized several times in both Nevada and Utah, prompting concerns about possible intentional poisoning, authorities said.

Specialized toxicology testing later showed the child had ingested prescription medication that had not been prescribed to him. Detectives concluded through investigative interviews and a review of evidence that the medication was coming “from within the family home,” according to the release.

Investigators determined that Martin “intentionally administered the prescription medication” to her child on multiple occasions throughout May — including at times while he was hospitalized, authorities said.

“Martin ultimately confessed to administering the medication, acknowledging that her actions caused repeated medical crises that placed the child’s life in danger,” the WCSO said.

Martin also told detectives she had been giving her son medications not prescribed to him, including two clonidine pills that she crushed and mixed into his drinks and yogurt, according to local outlet KSL, citing charging documents.

Clonidine is commonly used to treat high blood pressure and can also be prescribed to help manage ADHD symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic.

According to KSL, Martin claimed in charging documents that she was dosing her son every six to seven days and said she spaced out the doses “so she did not hurt [him].”

The child was hospitalized on May 14 and treated for “episodes of bradycardia, hypotonia, and hypothermia,” KSL reported. During one hospitalization in Utah, doctors determined the child needed to be intubated and described his condition as a near-fatality, according to the outlet.

Martin was arrested and charged with felony child abuse and neglect, along with multiple counts of willfully poisoning or adulterating food, water or medicine, the sheriff’s office said.

In the WCSO release, Sheriff Darin Balaam praised the investigators and partner agencies involved, calling the work “critical” to ensuring the child’s safety and holding someone accountable.

“The detectives’ efforts in this case were critical to bringing the investigation to a successful conclusion,” Balaam said, also thanking medical professionals, child welfare partners and prosecutors who assisted in the case.