IE parents arrested for giving pot to tot

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (KABC) -- A videotape purportedly showing a 2-year-old child smoking marijuana has led to the parents being arrested.

The San Bernardino Sheriff's Department is keeping that tape under wraps. The parents were in custody Tuesday at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.

The reason the parents were booked at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga is because there is a medical center at the facility. That was necessary because the arrested mother in the case is pregnant.

According to the sheriff's department, the toddler's mother, Melanie Soliz, 20, and the child's father, Blake Hightower, 24, made their baby son smoke marijuana.

"In this day and age, more and more we hear about situations like this, and it's just hard to really understand," said Roxanne Walker, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Dept.

Walker said it started as a child welfare call to an apartment complex where Soliz lived with her baby

"Our job is to respond to those, and investigate any allegations to see whether or not there is in fact a problem," said Edwards.

While deputies were at the complex, an anonymous source came forward with video allegedly showing Soliz and Hightower putting a pot pipe up to the child's mouth several times.

"I'm not surprised, I can tell you that," said neighbor DeShawn Edwards.

Edwards lives next door to child's father, Blake Hightower. Hightower turned himself in to police not long after they arrested the mother on Saturday.

"I didn't know what was going on until they came back later, and then next thing I know, they had the baby stuff on the car, and then the baby got in the back of the cop car," said Edwards.

The sheriff's department says the child is under the care of county family services.

Neighbors can only shake their heads at the allegations.

"That's a shocker because marijuana could do some danger, you know," said neighbor Toraino Edwards.

The sheriff's department said both Soliz and Hightower have medical-marijuana cards. They are both charged with child cruelty and were expected to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon.

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arrest, child abuse, marijuana, inland empire news, rob mcmillan

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