Mother Allegedly High On Meth Arrested After Trying To Leave Mercy Hospital With Newborn

A mother was arrested on Wednesday by Oklahoma City police after she and her boyfriend attempted to leave the hospital with her baby only hours after giving birth. Hospital staff alerted police after they found the mother tested positive for methamphetamines. 

Police said 29-year-old Michelle Robinson’s boyfriend Carson Fitts, 28, was arrested for child neglect after trying to sneak the newborn out of the hospital. Police said Fitts and a family member also tried to hide evidence of drug use. 

Police were called just after 5 p.m. on Wednesday to check on a disturbance at Mercy Hospital. Officers were told Robinson and Fitts planned to leave the hospital with their seven-hour-old baby. 

“They even cut off the wristband that alerts medical staff when the child was leaving,” said Sgt. Dillon Quirk, Oklahoma City Police Department. “Ultimately these two people were stopped from leaving the hospital.”   

Nurses called police and DHS when Robinson's urine came back positive for meth. Hospital staff believed the newborn's life was at risk. 

During the investigation officers learned Robinson tried to deceive nurses by giving them her boyfriend's urine. Police said the desperate couple even went to great lengths to get rid of the placenta. They hid it from nurses and gave it to one of Fitt's family members.  

Robinson told police she had meth in her system from the medication she took and that the baby would be safe with her, even though the couple admitted to being homeless. 

The officer at the hospital noted that neither parent showed remorse or sadness when a DHS worker took the baby. Officers left the hospital with Robinson and Fitts before the baby's blood tests came back. 

“They were arrested and later booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center,” said Quirk.  

DHS told police Robinson had four other children taken by the state last year. The couple has not been formally charged by the Oklahoma County District Attorney. 

Mercy Hospital officials offered a statement regarding the incident. 

“Mercy cannot comment on any specific case due to federal and state privacy laws protecting patient information. However, Mercy’s policies regarding mandated reporting are consistent with state and federal laws. In some cases, Mercy is obligated to report to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.”