WORCESTER COUNTY, Md.- A Salisbury man will spend several years behind bars for charges relating to reckless endangerment and neglect of a minor.
The Worcester County State's Attorney says that Tommy Lee Beauchamp, 33, was sentenced to 5 years in the Division of Corrections on Nov. 4. The Honorable Judge Beau H. Oglesby imposed the maximum sentence.
He was found guilty by a jury after trial in the Worcester County Circuit Court on Oct. 20.
The charges stem from an incident that happened on July 3, of last year when Pocomoke City first responders got a call from a mother of a 15-month old male toddler who was having difficulty breathing and turning blue in the face. While taking the child to the hospital, EMS personnel suspected an accidental drug overdose and administered Narcan to him, which caused him to regain consciousness.
A full medical exam was completed at Tidal Health and showed that the child had heroin and alcohol in his system. The child was airlifted to Children’s National Hospital in DC and survived.
Investigators with the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and Child Protective Services learned that Beauchamp, the child’s father, had a history of drug use and appeared to witnesses to have been under the influence and using drugs when caring for the child on July 3.
Investigators also discovered that in April of last year, Beauchamp had pleaded guilty to neglecting another 3-year-old child who had also accidentally ingested opioids under similar circumstances.
