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Two TV reporters from Arizona facing drug and child abuse charges after cocaine found in their baby's system

One of the reporters described her daughter as 'ragdoll-like' and 'unable to wakeup'

Maya Oppenheim
Wednesday 29 June 2016 12:24 BST
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Krystin met her husband while working as an intern at local news station KOLD
Krystin met her husband while working as an intern at local news station KOLD

Two married television reporters from Arizona are facing drug and child abuse charges after cocaine was found in their baby’s system.

Somchai Lisaius, 42, and his wife, Krystin Lisaius, 26, are accused of using cocaine at a small party at their home in Oro Valley in Tuscon, Arizona, on 14 May, according to a police report.

Krystin admitted to breastfeeding the four-month-old baby 12 hours after ingesting the cocaine, according to the report. She said she did not think her baby would be affected by the drug 12 hours afterwards.

The couple were indicted on charges of possession of a dangerous drug, drug paraphernalia and child abuse and appeared in court on Monday. They pleaded not guilty to the charges.

According to medical records, the couple took their child to hospital after noticing the baby had become “wabbly”, “limp”, and her “eyes were rolling” into the back of her head. Krystin described her child as “ragdoll-like” to the doctor, saying she was “unable to wake up”.

In turn, the doctor informed the parents the episode was atypical and possibly life threatening, recommending the child was transferred to a paediatric hospital.

Once at the hospital, the parents were apparently uncooperative and did not want the child to be tested. However later a urine analysis was carried out and identified the presence of cocaine.

The couple’s friend, “Thomas”, and godfather of their child, took cocaine with the couple on the night of the party. He said everyone snorted the cocaine through a rolled up receipt off the bathroom countertop.

In the police report, Somchai admitted to using cocaine that night and said he used the drug “every six weeks or so”. He also said he has witnessed his wife use cocaine since having their child but was not sure of the exact time when.

The child’s medical state was considered “good”.

Krystin works at local news outlet KGUN-TV while Somchai works as a reporter for Tucson News Now. They reportedly no longer appear to work at those stations.

Krystin met her husband while working as an intern at local news station KOLD.

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