A woman accused of poisoning an infant with antifreeze in Florida was apprehended in Georgia earlier this month.
According to reports, on February 12, a mother left her 11-month-old son in the care of 59-year-old Anna Adamo, providing her with two 3.5-ounce bottles of breast milk and some solid food. The mother, who had breastfed the child before the drop-off, stated that Adamo assured her the baby was doing well throughout the day, as reported by WPBF.
Later that afternoon, Adamo allegedly informed the mother via text that the baby seemed tired and asked if he could nap. An hour afterward, the child’s grandmother picked him up from Adamo’s care and noticed he was unusually fatigued, falling asleep almost immediately.
As per WPBF, the grandmother informed investigators that the child slept for two hours before the mother retrieved him. She mentioned that the baby did not eat while under her supervision.
The mother observed her son appeared lethargic, unable to support his head when transferred between car seats, and subsequently vomited a clear, foul-smelling, and sticky substance, according to WPBF’s report.
The infant was taken to a hospital in Okeechobee, where medical staff initially suspected he had the flu or pneumonia. He was transferred to the intensive care unit, where he was intubated and suffered full cardiac arrest, requiring 10 minutes of CPR, as detailed by WPBF.
The boy was ultimately moved to a hospital in Miami, where his urine was tested for oxidized crystal. The test allegedly came back positive, leading doctors to determine he was poisoned with antifreeze. The boy was also tested for a genetic disorder that would have led to oxidized crystals in his system. Testing indicated that he did not have that genetic disorder, authorities said.
The boy was released from the hospital a week later. Meanwhile, Adamo reportedly told police that she only fed him a 1-ounce bottle of milk — contradicting his mother’s claims that she gave two 3.5-ounce bottles of milk.
According to WPBF, investigators also debunked Adamo’s claim that her husband did not come home for lunch on February 12. While Adamo’s husband works at a car parts store, Adamo told detectives that he did not have contact with the victim.
Adamo allegedly also told Okeechobee police that she never took the victim into the garage. Further, the mother said her son was not yet walking or crawling and was unable to feed himself.
WPBF reported that Adamo ended the interview after she was confronted with similar antifreeze poisoning allegations from 2014. In that case, a 6-month-old in Adamo’s care was allegedly hospitalized for exposure to antifreeze or a household cleaner. The baby was placed on life support — and testing also suggested he had been poisoned. However, no criminal charges were filed against Adamo.
In the latest case, police executed a search warrant and discovered jugs of antifreeze in the garage. Fingerprints recovered from the containers are in the process of being identified. WPBF reported that police are also trying to find a lab that will test vomit on the victim’s blanket for poison.
WPEC reported that officers located Adamo in Georgia on October 3. She was extradited to Florida, where she was jailed on $600,00 bond.
Adamo was charged with child abuse, attempted first-degree murder, and adulterating food or drink. WPTV reported that she was released on bond on Wednesday.
In an interview with the news outlet, Adamo’s 23-year-old son said he “was not surprised” about the allegations against his mother — who he called a “monster.”
“She should be in prison,” he also commented. “I am glad that there is something in place to prevent her from watching children until she’s convicted.”
[Feature Photo: Okeechobee police]
