ROCKLAND, Maine — A 27-year-old woman is being held at the Knox County Jail after police say her 3-year-old child was found lying in a drainage ditch near her apartment complex.
Mandy Dennison, 27, of Rockland was initially charged Saturday evening with endangering the welfare of a child and unlawful possession of drugs when officers were called shortly after 6 p.m. by a neighbor who found the boy alone in the ditch along Rankin Street, according to Rockland police.
The boy was unable to tell Rockland Police Officer Andrew Redden where he lived but said he had been watching Scooby Doo on the television. The boy also had pink nail polish on him.
The officer checked nearby apartment complexes and found one with a door open. Scooby Doo was playing on the television and nail polish was on the entryway floor.
Officer Redden knocked on the door, and when he got no response entered to check on the welfare of anyone inside. He found Dennison sleeping on a mattress in the living room. After several attempts, he was able to wake up the woman, who said she did not know where her son was.
The officer said Dennison appeared to be under the influence of drugs and was found in possession of clonazepam, an anti-anxiety medication, which wasn’t prescribed to her.
She was arrested and taken to the Knox County Jail in Rockland. On the following evening, after she had been released on bail, Officer Alex Gaylor conducted a check on Dennison to verify compliance with the conditions of her release. Dennison was found to be in possession of a different medication for which, again, she had no prescription, according to police.
Dennison was re-arrested and charged with unlawful possession of drugs and violating conditions of release. She has since been released on bail.
The boy was turned over a to a family member.