You’ll Never Believe What This Florida Mom Allegedly Put in Her Baby’s Bottle

On this episode of “Bizarre Things That Happen in Florida,” a mother was arrested after a relative dropped the dime that she allegedly fed her baby a dangerous chemical.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit said they received a report in January from a concerned relative of 22-year-old Melissa Barnes alleging she’d been living in an unpowered shed with her 13-month-old daughter. Authorities said they described her living conditions as cold, cluttered and unsanitary. The relative told police they attempted to remove the child and feed her with a bottle but the child refused.

Upon inspecting the bottle, the relative told authorities they discovered bleach inside the contents.

Barnes claimed she only used the bleach to rinse the bottle out. However, deputies conducted a full investigation leading to the swift removal of the child from Barnes’ custody.

Upon executing a search warrant of the shed, detectives located the bottle of bleach as well as paint. The baby bottle was sent to an FBI laboratory for analysis. The findings confirmed the bottle held a solution with chlorine-based bleach.

“This case is deeply disturbing. No child deserves to be subjected to such dangerous and neglectful conditions. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is committed to protecting our community’s most vulnerable, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that those who harm children are held accountable,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister.

Last week, authorities obtained an arrest warrant for Barnes on charges of child abuse and child neglect. She was taken into custody of Highlands County jail June 3, police said. She was previously arrested in January for a violation of parole.

As for the child, she is in the custody of a relative. It’s unclear if that relative is the same who reported Barnes’ living conditions.