Substance found by child not cocaine, police say

By Chad Ruiz
St. Tammany News
Published on Friday, May 23, 2008 9:25 AM CDT

Print this story | Email this story | Post A Comment |

By Chad Ruiz

St. Tammany News

The white powdery substance enclosed in a brown vial and discovered by a 6-year-old Mandeville Elementary Student last Wednesday tested negative for cocaine by the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab technicians. This comes after a field test initially indicated the substance to be cocaine. The mother of the boy filed a complaint with the Mandeville Police after finding the vial in her son’s school bag.

According to the press release, it is still unclear how the boy came upon the vial because of conflicting accounts he told to school and police officials last week.

Although Capt. Ron Ruple with the Mandeville Police Department did not disclose what the substance is determined to be, he did state that “some heart medications will give a false positive for cocaine in field testing, which is why follow-up testing is done through the crime lab.”

Lt. Tommy Breazeale said the child did not sustain any injuries, but this should be a lesson to everyone to show more caution if a substance of unknown original is encountered.

“I wouldn’t pick it up because you never know what it is you’re picking up,” he said. “Notify your local police agency so they can take into custody.”

He also said this is the first incident of its kind that he’s experienced involving a child.

Print this story | Email this story | Post A Comment |

Comments

No comments posted.

WRITE A COMMENT

Use the form below to post a brief comment to this story, or respond to other readers. Please use the word count tool to assist you in keeping your remarks to 100 words or fewer.

Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. All readers comments must be approved by our staff before posting to the Web site. They review submitted comments periodically during the day for offensive or off-topic content before posting. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responsible for comments posted on this Web site. The St. Tammany News is not liable for messages from third parties.

DO NOT POST:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
* Comments unrelated to the story.
* Personal Information (phone numbers, addresses, etc.)

Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in thesttammanynews.com's reader comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of the St. Tammany News. The St. Tammany News does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized St. Tammany News spokespersons.

Your thoughtful contribution to the online discussion is appreciated.