Mich. home care nurse high on meth arrested after 3-year-old dies while in her care

COLOMA, Mich. (TCD) -- A home health nurse was arrested in connection with the death of a 3-year-old toddler.

According to WNDU-TV, on Monday, June 20, at approximately 2:30 a.m., Coloma police officers responded to 6209 Brecht Road to a report of an unresponsive toddler. At the scene, the parents were reportedly performing lifesaving measures on their child, who was missing her breathing tube.

Police located the home nurse, 42-year-old Judith Sobol, who was hired to watch the child that night, WNDU reports.

According to WBND-TV, when authorities found Sobol, she was mumbling as she was on the ground near the child. The victim was reportedly blue, and her trachea tube was disconnected. The child was transported to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead, WBND reports.

Coloma Township Police Chief Wes Smigielski told WNDU, "After the investigation was completed, we determined that she was high on methamphetamines and should not have been in care of that child."

Sobol reportedly admitted to police that she possessed meth and had used the drug the same day she was scheduled to care for the child. Additionally, she told authorities she shot up meth four days straight that week, according to WNDU.

During her interview, Sobol reportedly told authorities the child died due to her actions, and she was not in the right mindset to take care of her. According to WBND, when Sobol was cleaning up, the trachea tube fell out, and Sobol passed out before being able to place it back in. Eventually, the child’s trachea attachment was allegedly found tangled in the victim’s hair.

Upon further search, police reportedly found meth and two pipes inside Sobol’s purse.

Sobol was arrested and booked into Berrien County Jail, records show. She was reportedly charged with second-degree murder and possession of methamphetamine. Sobol remains held on $500,000 bond.

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