A west-central Florida couple is accused of child neglect after their 6-month-old daughter was hospitalized with a potentially fatal blood alcohol level of 0.383, according to online court documents.
According to Pasco County online court records, Jessie Lee Waldroup, 36, and Denise Leann Uzunboylu, 27, both of Port Richey, were arrested on Sept. 17. They were charged with a felony count of child neglect with great bodily harm.
According to an arrest affidavit, the baby was found unresponsive on Sept. 8 by her 7-year-old brother, who alerted his parents. First responders examined the baby, who was breathing but still unresponsive.
Court records stated that the child was airlifted to a children’s trauma center, where it was discovered that the girl had a blood-alcohol level of 0.383.
WFLA, citing data from the Cleveland Clinic, reported that any BAC level above 0.30 is likely to result in alcohol poisoning and could be fatal.
Two Port Richey parents are facing a felony child neglect charge after their 6-month-old daughter was hospitalized with a blood alcohol level of 0.383, according to court documents.https://t.co/c5RPLgn9uN pic.twitter.com/dY52BiHOCA
— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) September 22, 2026
Medical personnel told police that the child was “critical but stable” and that she likely would have died if medical attention had been delayed for much longer, according to the television station.
The boy had come home from school and his parents were sleeping in the living room, the arrest affidavit stated. When he checked on his sister in a bedroom, the girl was in her playpen but “was not acting right or responding.” That is when he roused his parents.
Waldroup and Uzunboylu initially denied using drugs or alcohol and said they did not know how the child had alcohol in her system, according to the arrest affidavit.
Uzunboylu later admitted that on Sept. 7, the family went to the beach with other family members, the affidavit stated. She added that a family member put vodka in a water bottle and that Waldroup -- her boyfriend and the baby’s father -- must have used that container to make a bottle for the child.
Waldroup also corroborated that story, according to the arrest affidavit.
What originally appeared as a rash on the child’s abdomen was later diagnosed as bruising, the affidavit stated. While the cause was unknown, police said it was “highly suspicious for non-accidental trauma based on the location and appearance.”
Uzunboylu claimed the girl was suffering from a rash, adding that her pediatrician was aware of it. However, police interviewed the physician, who claimed there were no records of a rash reported to his office.
The child also had bruising to her head and thigh, police said.
The child’s bottle was located inside the family’s home with a “strong smell of an alcoholic beverage” emitting from it. Both parents confirmed the bottle was the only one the child uses, the affidavit stated.
Waldroup and Uzunboylu each posted $10,000 bail, online booking records show. According to court records, they are prohibited from having contact with the victim.
Bryant Camareno, an attorney who is not affiliated with the case, told WFLA that if the defendants are found guilty, they could face penalties ranging from five years to 30 years “depending on the severity of the injuries.”
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