The Roanoke Rapids Police Department reported the following, according to Chief Shane Guyant:

On Wednesday Melissa Ann Johnson, 42, was charged with child abuse involving serious bodily injury related to her infant grandchild ingesting fentanyl which caused cardiac arrest.

The case goes back to October 21 when officers and Halifax County Emergency Services responded to a residence in the 1300 block of Washington Street and discovered an infant child was unresponsive in its crib.

Lifesaving measures began and the child was revived and taken to ECU North.

During the medical examination it was determined the infant had fentanyl in its system and detectives began an investigation.

Detectives learned that the child lived with its parents and grandmother. Guyant said Johnson was “determined to be a substance abuser.”

An extensive investigation was conducted which included interviews and physical evidence that suggested Johnson had left residue amounts of fentanyl in and around the infant’s crib area. The infant had ingested the substance, which caused the child to go into cardiac arrest.

The infant spent weeks in the hospital and was diagnosed to have an anoxic brain injury as a result of the overdose.   

The infant was released to its parents and they have moved from the area.  

On November 27 the police department obtained warrants on Johnson and she was served Wednesday. She was jailed on a $25,000 bond and has a January 10 court date.

“We continue to pray for the infant’s long-term recovery,” Guyant said. “This is a tragic incident that could have been avoided.  

Officer assaulted

On Wednesday shortly before 10:45 p.m. officers were dispatched to West Second and Vance streets after a driver, later identified as Avis R. Johnson, went through someone’s yard.

Master Officer N. Powell and Lieutenant D. Hundley located the vehicle at Medlin School. The 53-year-old Johnson was standing by the vehicle.

Officers detected the odor of alcohol and determined she was impaired.

She refused to submit to standardized field sobriety tests and was taken to the police department for breath analysis, which she also refused.

A search warrant was obtained to get a blood alcohol analysis performed at ECU North.

Johnson became combative at the hospital and pushed Powell into a wall before eventually being subdued.  

Johnson was charged with DWI, open container, assault on a government official, simple assault, communicating threats, and second-degree trespassing. 

Johnson was jailed in the Halifax County Detention Center under a $2,500 bond with a January 12 district court date.

As of this report she remained incarcerated, according to detention center records.