NC Mom, 20, Arrested After Her Shocking Video Of Baby Daughter Smoking Goes Viral
March 22, 2018
NC Mom, 20, Arrested After Her Shocking Video Of Baby Daughter Smoking Goes Viral
In a very disturbing video, a young mom can be seen forcing her baby girl to smoke! The woman has since been charged with marijuana possession as well as child abuse.
After a video of an infant smoking a small cigar went viral on social media, a concerned citizen helped make sure the culprit was brought to justice. Rightfully so, the disturbing clip sparked outrage, and ended up receiving over 1.5 million views. With help from social media users, North Carolina authorities were able to identify and arrest the child’s mother, 20-year-old Brianna Ashanti Lofton. Police say the Raleigh mom had her daughter smoke “a marijuana blunt,” according to arrest warrants obtained by CBS affiliate WNCN. Click here to see adorable pics of celeb babies.
The version of the video that received the 1.5 million views was actually posted by an individual who was determined to figure out the mom’s identity and alert authorities. The user identified himself as Rasheed Martin of Rochester New York, and once he viewed the video himself, he became concerned for the infant’s wellbeing. While Rasheed does not know Brianna, he first found out about the video when a friend shared it online. “Once more and more people found out about this situation, they showed me a screenshot of her actual Facebook page,” Rasheed said in an online interview, according to the New York Post. “Then I later added it to the post so everyone could know exactly who … did that to the poor little girl.”
In the viral vid, the hand of an off-screen adult can be seen holding what appears to be a cigarillo to the child’s lips. The child then makes a cooing sound and appears to inhale before letting out a puff of smoke. With help from Rasheed, the Raleigh Police Department successfully located Brianna and placed her under arrest, authorities said on March 21. The child is reportedly safe and the mother is in custody, being charged with marijuana possession and two counts of felony child abuse.
“Big thanks to everyone who posted information about the smoking mother and baby,” Raleigh police department officials told their Facebook followers in a post. “Thanks to your willingness to get involved, the child is now safe and the mother is in police custody.”