A mother addicted to meth has been arrested for murder after giving birth to a stillborn baby.
Nurses at Adventist Birthing Center in Hanford discovered that both mother and baby tested positive for meth.
Perez was charged with second-degree murder on New Year’s Day.
Hanford Police Sgt. Justin Vallin described Perez as “a self-proclaimed addict” to the news outlet.
“We have several contacts with her for using meth,” he said.
“It’s pretty sad that happened,” a neighbor, Corey Elliott said.
He added, “We just noticed a lot of odd characters hanging around and that’s about it. A lot of traffic here and there.”
The mother is receiving treatment at the clinic in Hanford.
In addition, a search warrant on her address revealed further evidence that she was taking drugs at home.
Perez was booked into the Kings County Jail, according to the newspaper.
Police said Perez has other children but they do not stay with her.
Vallin told yourcentralvalley.com that he hopes other addicted mothers will think twice and reach out to others for support.
“There’s programs throughout the state and county for people who want help,” he said. “They have to take the initial step to go out and get help.”
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has outlined some consequences of using meth, including memory loss, aggression, psychotic behavior, damage to the cardiovascular system, malnutrition, and severe dental problems. It may also contribute to the spreading of infectious diseases, such as hepatitis and HIV.