Kennesaw Mom High On Meds When She Drove Child To School: Police

KENNESAW, GA -- A Cobb County woman who allegedly drove her child to school while high on medication and left another one home alone has been arrested, Patch has learned.

Latanya Nicole Downer is charged with first-degree child cruelty, according to information from the Cobb County Sheriff's Office.

Her children -- a 4-year-old, a 2-year-old and another one of undisclosed age -- are with the Division of Family and Children Services, according to news reports.

When Downer showed up to drop her child off at school on Feb. 17 she could barely stay awake and almost hit her head on the counter more than once, police told WAGA-TV.

She "appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance" and was "nodding out to the point where she was almost striking her head on the counter of the front desk," according to a police report cited by WGCL.

It got so bad that a staff member from the school had to drive her home. At Downer's Kennesaw residence, a 2-year-old was found to be home alone.

Inside the home, police also reportedly found an assortment of painkiller prescriptions, issued by five different doctors.

Image courtesy of Cobb County Sheriff's Office