Police: Mom high on spice in viral video is arrested
THEODORE, Alabama (WKRG) – The mother who is accused of being high on drugs in a Facebook video gone viral has been arrested by authorities.
Lauren Brooke Englett, 18, was taken into custody Monday morning on charges of reckless endangerment and domestic violence filed by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office.
In the video, Englett is seen acting erratically with her 2-year-old child on the porch of a home in Theodore. Officials with the Sheriff’s Office said Englett admitted to being high on spice at the time the video was taken.
The video was taken in the fall but has since hit nearly 2 million views on Facebook.
Lori Myles, Public Affairs Officer with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, said that response to the video has been tremendous.
“This video has become very viral, it has upset a lot of people and we think it is the responsibility of that mother as well as the other two people in that video that they should be charged,” Myles said.
After going viral, the video launched a child endangerment investigation by sheriff’s office. The first welfare check was done on Feb. 23, 2016. At that time, the child was removed from Englett’s care and given to his grandmother.
On Feb. 27, 2016 sheriff’s deputies went back to check on the boy and found that Englett was also living with the grandmother. Myles said deputies then contacted DHR.
“Our deputies went back and reported that to DHR and on Feb. 27 they removed the child from the home and took it to foster care at the point,” Myles said.
The 25-year-old seen in the video, Jamie Jemison, as well as the woman holding the camera, 19-year-old Rachel Rikard, are currently being sought for arrest. They are charged with reckless endangerment.
