Girl, 2, hospitalized for ingesting meth in Tulare County

PORTERVILLE, Calif.

The Tulare County Sheriff's Office has arrested the two people who were watching the child Friday morning.

21-year-old Jose Tapia and 23-year-old Janet Cerritos are in jail, facing child endangerment charges.

Investigators said the pair took the two year old girl to a hospital in Porterville early Friday.

The toddler was suffering from a high temperature and seizures. The Tulare County Sheriff's Office said a 2-year-old girl tested positive for methamphetamine Friday after she was brought to the Sierra View District Hospital.

Investigators said Jose Tapia and Janet Cerritos were responsible for the child at the time. They rushed her to the hospital after she began sweating profusely and then began having seizures.

"Originally, they brought the child in with the symptoms, didn't explain how the symptoms would possibly be there," said Sgt. Chris Douglass.

Once the child tested positive for meth investigators searched a home on south Walnut Street in Porterville. "We did do a search warrant on the home," Sgt. Douglass said. "Methamphetamine was not found in the home but we did find paraphernalia."

How Tapia and Cerritos are related to the child is not being released at this time - to protect her identity.

Douglass said it's unfortunate Tapia and Cerritos didn't tell doctors about the meth immediately as it could have helped in her medical care.

The little girl is in doctor's care at Children's Hospital Central California in Madera County.

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