The call came after a 7-year-old boy walked into his home and found his baby sister unresponsive in her playpen. According to an affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, the boy rushed to alert his parents, but they were asleep. The child's condition was so dire that first responders later measured her blood alcohol content at 0.383 — more than four times the legal adult driving limit in Florida, and a level that police say could have killed her.
The infant, just 6 months old, was rushed to a hospital and treated for acute alcohol poisoning. She survived, but the investigation that followed turned on her parents: Jessie Waldroup, 36, and Desirae Uzunboylu, 27, both of Pasco County, Florida.
On Sept. 17, deputies with the Pasco County Sheriff's Office arrested Waldroup and Uzunboylu. Both were charged with child neglect, a felony under Florida law. Court records show they were booked into the Pasco County Jail and later posted bond, according to Law&Crime.
The affidavit describes the scene investigators found that day. The infant was in her playpen, unresponsive, while her parents were asleep in the same home. The 7-year-old son had just returned from school and discovered his sister in distress. Police did not say in the affidavit how the infant ingested alcohol, and no bottle, cup, or container was mentioned in the initial report.
What makes this case particularly alarming, according to the source, is the measured BAC. At 0.383, a person would typically be at risk of coma, respiratory failure, or death. For a 6-month-old, whose liver is not fully developed, that level is considered near-fatal. The infant was hospitalized and required medical intervention to stabilize her, but the source does not specify how long she remained in the hospital or whether she has been released.
The parents' arrest came after sheriff's deputies responded to the home in Land O' Lakes, a community in Pasco County north of Tampa. The Pasco County Sheriff's Office has not released additional details about the incident, and neither Waldroup nor Uzunboylu have given public statements. The source does not indicate whether either parent has hired an attorney or entered a plea.
Both defendants face a single count of child neglect, a charge that in Florida can carry a prison sentence of up to 15 years, depending on the circumstances and the child's age. However, no conviction has been entered, and the case remains in its early stages. The couple posted bond, which means they are presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
What is still unknown: how the alcohol entered the infant's system. The affidavit does not describe a specific bottle, spill, or parental action. Police have not said whether they suspect intentional harm, careless storage of alcohol, or an accident. The source also does not state whether the infant has been placed in protective custody or remains with her parents. Those questions are likely to be addressed in the coming weeks as the case moves through court.
The next concrete step is a hearing in Pasco County court, where the charges will be formally read and the defendants will respond. No hearing date has been listed in the source material. Until then, the couple remains out on bond, and the infant's recovery — and her future living situation — stays an open question.
Law&Crime reported on the affidavit and the arrests, and the Pasco County Sheriff's Office confirmed the charges in its booking records. The case is a reminder that child neglect allegations can take many forms, and that a blood alcohol reading alone does not explain how a 6-month-old came to be in that condition. That explanation, if it comes, will arrive with the evidence in court.