Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Katy Mother Arrested in Florida, Charged After Toddlers Found in Pool Had Cocaine in Their Systems

The case centers on unanswered questions about how the toddlers encountered cocaine.

Overview

  • Laura Nicholson, 23, was taken into custody in Florida and booked into the Lee County Jail on two counts of injury to a child, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
  • Investigators said both girls tested positive for cocaine and the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine in toxicology results released by county forensic officials.
  • The medical examiner said the autopsies could not confirm or rule out drowning, noting that such determinations often rely on the surrounding facts.
  • The sisters were found in the backyard pool at their Katy home by their grandmother, and first responders tried to save them before they were pronounced dead at a hospital.
  • Court records describe a broken back-door latch, prior unsupervised access to the pool, and Nicholson’s statement that she had fallen asleep, while investigators still have not determined how the children were exposed to cocaine.