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Woman Drugged Her Kids, Police Say

Three parents have been charged with abuse or neglect of their children, two of whom died. In the other case, a mother admitted she left five children age 7 and younger at home when she went out and drugged them so they would sleep. Here are details:

A mother authorities say worked hard to turn her life of drugs and violence around now sits in the Seminole County Jail charged with the murder of her youngest child, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Rachel Fryer, 32, admitted to burying 2-year-old Tariji Gordon in a shallow grave in Crescent City when the child didn’t wake up, the Sentinel reports. Police said Fryer abused the girl so severely it caused a head injury and she died on Feb. 6.

In Lake Worth, Thomas Chambers has been charged with aggravated manslaughter for the Feb. 13 accidental death of his 3-year-old daughter Zuri, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. Chambers left the gun on a table despite knowing the child had picked up his guns before, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

And Lauderhill Police last week charged a mother with neglect for leaving her five children alone overnight and giving them sleeping pills, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

The children of Grace Danielle Pressey, 26, told police their mother leaves them alone when she goes to work or runs errands. The children, ages 7 months to 7 years old, were given Benadryl and Nyquil to make them sleep while Pressey was gone, police said. Pressey says she gave her children the medicine only when they were sick.

Originally founded in December 2006 as an independent grassroots publication dedicated to coverage of health issues in Florida, Health News Florida was acquired by WUSF Public Media in September 2012.