11-year-old brings cocaine to school to stop mom's drug abuse
February 10, 2006, 9:57 PM EST
COPIAGUE, N.Y. (AP) _ An 11-year-old boy brought a bag of cocaine to school on Friday in an effort to stop his mother from using drugs, police said.
The boy had unsuccessfully tried to wake up his mother so she could take him to school, Suffolk County Police said. He then took the bag, which police said was one of several, and was taken to school by his mother's boyfriend.
When the boy arrived at Deauville Gardens Elementary School, he was upset and told school officials what had happened, police said. Authorities were called to investigate and arrested his mother, Toni LaBarera, 43, of Lindenhurst, and her boyfriend, Scott Pinto, 43, of Copiague.
Police said both were charged with endangering the welfare of a child and possession of a controlled substance and were freed on bail.
There was no telephone number listed for the last name LaBarera in Lindenhurst. A number for a Scott Pinto in Copiague had been temporarily disconnected.
The boy was turned over to his father's custody, police said.
