Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Elizabeth Monet Justiss, 39, was arrested yesterday and charged with child neglect with great bodily harm, after allegedly taking drugs two days before giving birth and abandoning her baby at the hospital.

On July 29, Justiss gave birth to a baby girl, and at the time of the birth, Justiss reportedly tested positive for methadone, fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana. The baby reportedly tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl, and a test of the baby’s stool showed the presence of codeine, methadone, marijuana, and amphetamines. According to an investigation by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the fentanyl was not administered by hospital staff, and cocaine, marijuana, and amphetamines are illegal and “would not be prescribed or administered in a clinical setting.” The investigation concluded that the infant was exposed to the drugs before birth.

The infant was immediately admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for “symptoms of narcotics withdrawal” and displayed “significant fussiness and feeding difficulties,” according to medical records. The infant was also diagnosed as failing to thrive since she remained below her birth weight at two weeks old.

Justiss reportedly admitted that she used fentanyl “two days” before giving birth. Justiss was discharged from the hospital two days after the birth, but the infant was hospitalized until August 18. During the twenty days the infant was hospitalized, Justiss allegedly failed to visit her and did not maintain communication with the Department of Children and Families (DCF). The infant was eventually discharged into foster care after Judge Phillip Pena signed a shelter order. Justiss allegedly made no attempts to communicate with DCF or to visit the infant in the 30 days following the infant’s release from the hospital.

On September 24, deputies conducted a traffic stop on Justiss’s car due to an active felony warrant for violating probation, and she was charged with driving with a suspended license as a habitual offender and child neglect with great bodily harm.

Justiss has three felony convictions (non-violent) and three misdemeanor convictions (non-violent) and had a warrant out for violating probation by testing positive for amphetamine/methamphetamine, benzodiazepines, and cocaine on a urine test in October 2024. Judge Meshon Rawls ordered her held without bail until the probation violation is resolved, and set bail at $50,000 for the child neglect charge and $15,000 for driving with a suspended license.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.