What started as a routine shopping trip ended with a visit to the emergency room for one Baldwin County family.
According to the Daphne Police Department, officers were called to Thomas Hospital around 10:30 p.m. Monday after a mother reported her 11-year-old son had picked up a folded dollar bill while shopping at the Walmart on U.S. Highway 98. When the child unfolded the bill, a white powdery substance fell out.
“We got a call to the Thomas ER for a female who said her son had picked up a folded dollar bill at Walmart, and a white powdery substance had fallen out of the dollar bill,” said Lt. Kristen Andrews with the Daphne Police Department. “We met with them. Officers tested the substance that was on the dollar bill, and it did test positive for methamphetamine.”
Police said the child, his mother and his sister were all evaluated at the hospital and tested negative for exposure. Investigators collected the dollar bill as evidence and reviewed Walmart surveillance footage. Andrews said officers were able to identify the moment the child picked up the bill and are now working with Walmart’s loss prevention team to determine who may have dropped it.
At this point, police believe the incident was accidental rather than intentional. “We do believe this was isolated,” Andrews said. “It doesn’t appear it was left maliciously. It probably just fell out of somebody’s pocket or bag.”
Even so, Andrews said the incident serves as an important reminder for parents and children. “If you don’t know what it is, just leave it alone,” she said. If someone does come into contact with an unknown substance, Andrews recommends washing hands thoroughly with soap and water rather than using hand sanitizer, then seeking medical attention if necessary.
The investigation remains ongoing as detectives work to identify who dropped the dollar bill.