ST MARYS, Ga. — A St. Marys mother is speaking up after she said a student at St. Marys Middle School put hand sanitizer in her daughter’s water bottle while at school.
Action News Jax reporter Shanila Kabir spoke to the family members who said the girl drank some of the tainted water and was hospitalized with symptoms for days after her discharge.
Parents of the eighth grader said their daughter had to miss an entire week of school recovering both physically and mentally. The hand sanitizer was poured into her water bottle after she stepped out of the classroom.
“Upon coming back, she took a big swig of water and something felt wrong- the water tasted different. A bunch of boys behind her started laughing. She asked what did you put in my water? Then, some of them pointed to the one boy and he said, “I put something in your water,” said Willow Carey.
Willow Carey is the 13-year-old girl’s aunt who took her to the hospital later that day.
The incident occurred on Monday, March 24.
“She ran out of the classroom. She started feeling queasy and lightheaded, and she wanted to puke.”
Family members said doctors told them the lab results revealed the teen drank a significant amount of hand sanitizer.
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The St. Mary’s Police Department said officers were called to the hospital for a drug investigation as a result. A couple of days later, detectives began talking to the school principal and interviewing witnesses.
According to the police report, one of the student witnesses confessed that a boy had tampered with the water bottle with hand sanitizer.
The girl’s mother asked to stay anonymous for her daughter’s safety, however, she said she plans on holding the school and those students accountable.
“They could’ve killed my daughter. She went three days of a very upset stomach. She went 24 hours to 48 hours of being dizzy.”
The St. Marys Police Department has collected both the water bottle and hand sanitizer as evidence. Police were not available to discuss the investigation and whether criminal charges will be brought.
Action News Jax reached out to the Camden County school district for comment, but the district offices are closed for spring break.
The student’s family members stress they will not let her go back to school until they see new safety protocols in place.
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