A 26-year-old Conover woman is in jail in Charlotte on five counts of child abuse inflicting serious injury and five counts of child neglect after allegedly abusing her 5-month-old daughter while the infant was being treated in a children’s hospital.
LaDonna Parlier was arrested at about 3 a.m. Thursday by Youth Crimes Division detectives after “an investigation revealed the suspect had abused her infant daughter on several occasions,” according to a media release issued by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
Police said that on Wednesday, they caught Parlier on surveillance video abusing her child, Naomi. Detectives said Parlier pulled out a syringe from Naomi’s IV line, then injected an “unknown substance” back into the IV. Police are still testing the IV line and the bag.
Doctors have been suspicious for quite some time. That’s why they moved Naomi into a new room Wednesday – one equipped with a surveillance camera, according to CMC police.
The video footage has not been released.
Naomi has been in the hospital for months. She is still a patient in CMC and is listed in stable condition.
Parlier’s bond was set at $137,500 secured. The criminal investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be forthcoming.
Parlier’s friends and family reacted with dismay when they learned of her arrest.
“I'm devastated. I love her to death. I don’t believe none of it,” Timothy Parlier said, adding that his wife is a loving and devoted mother, concerned only about Naomi's weight and condition. “I can’t get it in my head this really happened.”
Parlier’s brother, Tim Justice, said Naomi was born with a cleft pallet, which was surgically repaired about two months ago. Since then, the child has been in and out of the hospital.
“She'd get better, then go downhill, get better, then go downhill,” said Timothy Parlier.
Naomi is Parlier’s fourth child.
“LaDonna was a wonderful mom. She was strict – she was definitely strict,” said Parlier’s sister-in-law, April Justice. “We’re still shocked – we don’t understand what happened.”
Parlier’s brother said Naomi’s hospitalizations put financial stress on the family because LaDonna stayed home to take care of Naomi and her other three children while her husband worked as a short-haul truck driver so he could be home at night with his family.
Friends and family collected donations in the Parlier’s neighborhood and put donation jars at local businesses to raise money to help with their expenses. Now neighbors are rising to Parlier’s defense.
Tealisa Troutman lives across the street from the Parliers. Their children played together.
“If it’s true I’d be shocked really – I just don’t see it,” Troutman said. “I pray to God somebody got something wrong.”
Troutman’s father said he hopes people will reserve judgment about Parlier until the details come out in court.
“She’s been charged – not convicted. People need to keep an open mind,” Ron Troutman said. “I want to see the tapes before I believe anything. I just hope this doesn’t ruin their lives and their reputation.”
WSOC-TV contributed to this report.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement