Woman accused of trying to feed baby bleach from child’s bottle

TAMPA — A west-central Florida woman is accused of trying to feed her 13-month-old daughter bleach from a bottle, authorities said.

Melissa Elaine Barnes, 32, of Tampa, was arrested Monday in Highlands County on an out-of-county warrant, according to Highland County Sheriff’s Office booking records. She is facing charges of child abuse and child neglect, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Barnes’ arrest stems from an incident that occurred on Jan. 2, 2024, the sheriff’s office said.

On that day, a relative of Barnes contacted authorities and said that the woman was living in an unpowered shed with her baby, WTVT reported.

According to the sheriff’s office, the relative removed the child from “cold, cluttered, and unsanitary” conditions and attempted to feed her. When the baby refused to drink from the bottle, the relative examined it and discovered that it contained bleach.

Barnes allegedly told the relative that she used bleach to rinse the bottle, WFTS-TV reported.

Detectives with the sheriff’s office conducted an investigation, and the child was removed from Barnes’ care by the Department of Children and Families and placed with another relative, according to WFLA-TV.

According to the sheriff’s office, the contents of the bottle were analyzed and the presence of chlorine-based bleach was discovered.

Based on the investigation, detectives obtained warrants for Barnes’ arrest on May 28, WTVT reported. She was taken into custody by the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office on Monday and remains in custody in the county jail.

“This case is deeply disturbing. No child deserves to be subjected to such dangerous and neglectful conditions,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “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.”

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