Newborn positive for drugs; mother charged

Florence, Al.
The mother of a month-old infant has been arrested after her child tested positive for drugs when she was born, authorities said Thursday.
Natalie Sisson Bowers Rochester, 25, 2929 Lauderdale 9, Florence, is charged with chemical endangerment of exposing a child to a chemical substance, police said.
Reports indicate the child was born Aug. 26 at Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital in Florence.

Rochester

The baby tested positive for amphetamines and opiates, authorities said. The drugs are stimulants.
Police said Rochester tested positive for the same drugs when she was admitted to the hospital to deliver the baby.
Investigators said the Lauderdale County Department of Human Resources was first notified of the child’s test, followed by the Florence police.
Florence police detective Keith Johnson said an investigation was conducted with assistance from DHR officials.
He said arrest warrants were issued for Rochester on Monday.
“She was notified of the warrant and agreed to turn herself in, but that didn’t happen,” Johnson said. “For three days, she told us she was coming in. When she didn’t, we turned the arrest warrant over to the U.S. Marshals Task Force.”
Johnson said U.S. Marshals picked up Rochester on Wednesday night.
Authorities said the baby is in the custody of her father and doing well.
Rochester was taken to the Lauderdale County Detention Center, where she was released after posting a $5,000 bail.