FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ohio (TCD) — A man is in custody on suspicion of giving a 3-year-old child too much Benadryl last month, causing him to die.
On April 13, at around 6:18 p.m., deputies with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home on London Groveport Road in reference to an unresponsive child. Authorities learned the 3-year-old victim was in the care of a family friend, 35-year-old Randy Mollett, when the boy allegedly had a seizure. Fire department personnel transported the child to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus in critical condition, where he later died.
Deputies allege Mollett gave the child a fatal dose of Diphenhydramin, an active ingredient in Benadryl. According to court documents reviewed by WBNS-TV, detectives found two bottles of Benadryl in Mollett’s home. The man also reportedly confessed to giving the child the drug.
On May 1, detectives arrested Mollett on charges of child endangerment, reckless homicide, and murder. Mollett appeared in court for his arraignment, and his bond was set at $2 million for the murder charge and $1 million each for child endangerment and reckless homicide, WBNS reports. He is scheduled to appear in court again on May 10.
Mollett remains held in the Franklin County Jail.
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How could someone do such a thing to a child? Was there any signs of previous behavior that could have raised concerns?