A Pennsylvania grandmother was arrested Sunday for child endangerment and drug charges after her grandson brought her heroin to school with him.
56-year old Pauline Bilinski-Munion lost her drugs in the family's Coatsville home on May 1 while she was babysitting her grandson. The next day, the seven-year old brought nine bags of heroin to school, and gave at least one bag to a classmate.
A teacher at Caln Elementary School overheard that the first-grader had drugs on him, and found nine baggies stamped "Victoria's Secret" in his pocket.
Coatsville School District Solicitor James Ellison told reporters that an automated message was sent to parents stating that their child may have a "dangerous substance" in his/her possession.
"If it is in their possession, please take it immediately to the local police," the message said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
"As a precautionary measure, we also recommend that you immediately take your child to the closest hospital emergency room for a medical evaluation."
When police searched Bilinski-Munion's house, they found more bags of heroin, and an empty bag in her grandson's pocket.
"We're lucky we don't have a dead 7-year-old on our hands," District Attorney Thomas Hogan told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Hogan also criticized the school district for not calling 911 or his office, and for not finding the other bag of heroin that was in the first-grader's pocket.
"This is a full-scale emergency when you have heroin loose in a grade school classroom," he said.
"There is no way that kid would have been able to get out of that classroom with a bag of heroin if they responded appropriately." He said he heard about the incident through local news reports.
Philadelphia Police Department Office of School Safety Chief Inspector Carl Holmes also criticized the district for not calling 911 right away.
"Some drugs can be ingested through the skin by touching them. Heroin is one of them," Holmes said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
"We don't know what the substance is, and we don't know what kind of effect it's going to have on a child."
Police say Bilinski-Munion is a known drug user. Her case is pending.
