CONCORD, N.H.: A woman in labor demanded a friend inject her with heroin and methamphetamine before firefighters arrived at their home and she gave birth while entering an ambulance, police said Wednesday.
Police in Concord arrested Felicia Farruggia, 29, of Concord, this week, about six months after her son was born. He is in state custody.
Police also arrested Rhianna Frenette, 37, of Belmont, who is accused of giving Farruggia the drugs. They’re charged with felony reckless conduct. Frenette also faces a misdemeanor count on the same offense.
“This case is just, honestly, absolutely appalling in my mind,” Lt. Sean Ford said. “No one died, but the risk to that child and to the mother. … This stuff is just getting out of control.”
Both women were arraigned from jail on Wednesday; bail was set at $25,000 for Frenette and $15,000 for Farruggia. It wasn’t immediately known whether they had attorneys.
Police say Frenette used an unsanitary syringe to try to inject Farruggia at least once before she was successful. After that, Farruggia’s boyfriend called 911. Shortly afterward, firefighters arrived, and Farruggia gave birth while entering the ambulance.
A police affidavit said while at the hospital, the baby was in stable condition but was breathing rapidly, something that could have been caused by a number of conditions. His urine was positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine. His mother’s urine was positive for those drugs and benzodiazepine.
According to the affidavit, Farruggia said she started having contractions, went to the bathroom and lay on the floor. She said Frenette had heroin and told her “it would take the edge off.” She said she didn’t stop Frenette from injecting her.
But Frenette told police that when she went into the bathroom, she saw Farruggia trying to inject herself and intervened, giving her only half of the drug.