A Dubuque mother left two children unattended in the bathtub, leading to a near-drowning and severe brain injury for an infant. Court documents and an ensuing investigation showed that the infant and two siblings also had illegal drugs in their systems. 22-year-old Champayne Sandifer-Jackson of Dubuque was arrested around 5 a.m. on Friday at the Dubuque Law Enforcement Center on warrants charging neglect or abandonment of a dependent person and three counts of child endangerment after emergency responders were dispatched to the woman’s residence after the near-drowning was reported. An almost-8-month-old was found unresponsive with responders starting CPR. The boy was taken to MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center, then airlifted to University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa City. During treatment, doctors ran tests that indicated the child had illegal drugs including cocaine, ecstasy, and THC in his system. Further tests of Sandifer-Jackson’s 2 children, 2- and 7-year-old also had cocaine and THC in their systems.Â
Dubuque mother arrested for near-drowning, 3 children with drugs in their systems
By Mark Evenstad
Aug 29, 2022 | 1:14 PM