Grandma Yolanda Beck Arrested After 1-Year-Old Ingests PCP & Cocaine

A 37-year-old West Side woman was charged with child endangerment after her one-year-old grandson ingested small amounts of cocaine and PCP from pieces of aluminum foil in her home, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. After family members noticed the boy was lethargic he was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital, where doctors founded traces of the drugs in his system.

Yolanda Beck, who has a long history of drug arrests, faces one misdemeanor count of endangering the life and health of a child, according to police.

And since she reportedly admitted to police that she consumed the drugs and left the pieces of foil within the child's reach, her Chicago criminal attorney doesn't have too many options for a defense.

The boy is said to be in good condition and was taken into the care of another relative, according to a spokesman for the state Dept. of Children and Family Services. The agency is in the process of investigating allegations of neglect by both the mother and grandmother of the child.

No other children were present in the home, according to police.

Although Yolanda Beck was arrested for drug possession at least four times, most recently in February of this year, she was never convicted of the charges. She pleaded guilty to prostitution two years ago and was sentenced to three years of court supervision.

She was ordered held on $7,500 bail for the current charge and is expected to appear in court for a hearing on Aug. 10.

Child endangerment is one form of child abuse, usually applied to cases in which a parent or legal guardian has neglected or otherwise breached his or her duty of care for a child, according to FindLaw.

Related Resources: