Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 4, 1995 TAG: 9502070028
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MATT CROWDER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Elisa Jennings Little made statements to authorities saying that she allowed her 14-month-old child to have alcohol, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Randy Krantz said.
Little first said that the alcohol was mixed in with formula in the child's bottle, but she later said she allowed the child to have a sip out of a bottle of liquor, Krantz said.
The child was taken to Bedford County Memorial Hospital in a coma and later was transferred to Community Hospital of Roanoke Valley.
According to a doctor's statement, the coma set in because the child's liver had not matured enough to metabolize the alcohol, leading to a drop in the child's blood-sugar level.
The child since has been placed with a relative.
Also Friday, a Bedford County man was indicted on a felony charge of child abuse and neglect.
Michael David Burgess, 18, had been charged in connection with his infant daughter's being hospitalized with a broken leg and other fractures. His wife, Anita, 23, was indicted in January on the same charge. Her trial is scheduled Feb.17 in Bedford County Circuit Court.
Amber Burgess was 2 months old when she was taken to the emergency room at Community Hospital in August with a fractured femur. Further X-rays showed that Amber had other fractures in various stages of healing.
Krantz said that to break Amber's femur required the force of a 30-foot fall. She is now in foster care. The Burgesses have been denied visitation rights.
No trial date has been set in either case.
by CNB