Chandler mother arrested after 2-year-old boy found with meth in body, police say

CHANDLER, AZ (AZFamily) – A Chandler mother was arrested Tuesday after her 2-year-old son reportedly tested positive for meth.

At around 10 a.m., police were called to a home near Chandler Boulevard and Hartford Street, north of Frye Road, because the Department of Child Safety had ordered a child welfare check.

When police arrived in Chandler, they spoke with 37-year-old Argelena Anna Deel, the biological mother of the children they were called to find. She told police that the child they were looking for had been staying with a family member of his father for two weeks.

According to court documents, Chandler police were called to the house and said they discovered drug paraphernalia, meth, animal feces, cockroaches and other vermin. Officers reported that the meth was in the living room, within reach of all the children in the house.

When police searched the house, they found the child face down in a bed covered with blankets and wearing only a diaper. The child was breathing but unresponsive.

The 2-year-old was taken to the hospital and a toxicology test revealed he had methamphetamine in his system, court documents say. Police said the child also had insect bites all over his body.

DCS told police that two teenagers also lived in the home. According to documents, Chandler police found them in a room that was in a similar condition to the rest of the house.

Court records show that DCS took temporary custody of all the children and the teens were taken to the Chandler Family Advocacy Center for questioning.

Chandler police said the teens said Deel was the only adult in the house besides her boyfriend who could care for them. According to court documents, the teens told police Deel was actively using drugs and they were responsible for caring for their younger brother when she was unable to do so.

Deel admitted to using meth and told police her boyfriend was a drug dealer and kept his stash in the house, court documents state. She also told police she would find drugs all over the floor of the house, but denied knowing there were drugs near where the child slept, police said.

When asked how the two-year-old could have meth in his body, Deel told police he could have found it on the floor or from his grandmother’s bed.

Deel was arrested and charged with three counts of child molestation. Her bail was set at $10,000.

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