MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — A Muskegon grandmother accused in the death of her 14-month-old granddaughter admitted she found her heroin spoon in the baby’s mouth, court records show.
Latisha Jones, 52, is charged with open murder in the Oct. 22 death of her granddaughter, Eva Jones.
The grandmother was babysitting Eva and her two siblings while the mom was at work, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Jones admitted that she uses heroin and cocaine daily and had used heroin a few hours before going to her daughter’s house to babysit, records show. She told police she placed a used needle and a spoon she uses to heat heroin in her coat pocket, which she hung on a chair in her daughter’s living room.
When the children’s mother got home, Eva started acting drowsy, rubbing her eyes and falling backwards, hitting her head on the refrigerator twice, court records show. The grandmother rocked her to sleep on the couch, then placed her in bed. The mom found the baby unresponsive 45 minutes later.
The grandmother said that before she was told that Eva was acting drowsy, she was “alerted” to the fact that the baby had a spoon in her mouth. She took away the spoon and put it in the kitchen sink, she told police.
After the baby was found dead, she put on her coat and realized the spoon was gone, the affidavit states.
“Latisha then realized it was her drug spoon that Eva had in her mouth,” according to the affidavit. “Latisha believes the heroin on her spoon was what killed Eva.”
However, an autopsy found fentanyl, norfentanyl, benzodiazepenines and cocaine in the baby’s system.
Jones is being held in the Muskegon County Jail on a $20,000 bond. She is expected back in court on Nov. 9 for a probable cause conference and Nov. 16 for a preliminary hearing.