A Gainesville woman has been arrested for child cruelty after she allegedly gave her toddler son an adult dose of a powerful sedative.
Hall County Sheriff's Office spokesman Derreck Booth said the investigation began on Sept. 19, 2019 when the suspect's child was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
"According to the preliminary investigation, the suspect in the case, 30-year-old Cassandra Gene Ravencraft, caused her 2-year-old son to ingest the medication Halcion and that resulted in his hospitalization for several days," Booth said.
Booth said once the investigation was completed, authorities arrested Ravencraft on Friday, Nov. 1 and charged her with first degree cruelty to children under the Family Violence Act.
Halcion, according to medical information, also is known as Triazolam, which is a benzodiazepine similar to Valium. The drug is often used to treat insomnia.
Booth said he no information on how Ravencraft was able to get the child to ingest the drug. He also had no possible motive for the mother giving the powerful drug to her child. Booth said the case remains under investigation by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office and the Hall County Division of Family and Children Services.
Ravencraft remained in jail with no bond as of Tuesday, Nov. 5.
