Docs: Aunt arrested after toddler smokes from vape
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – A 20-year-old woman was arrested after her 1-year-old nephew smoked from her THC vape on Friday, May 16, according to court documents obtained by KTSM.
El Paso County Sheriff's Office: Aunt arrested after child eats illegal narcotics
As we previously reported, Vianney Alyssa Acosta, 20, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and child endangerment. She was then booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility with a $6,000 bond, the Sheriff's Office said.
According to court documents, the Sheriff's Office was dispatched on May 16 to the 13200 block of Walker Post Avenue to assist El Paso Fire about a 1-year-old boy having trouble breathing due to 'smoking a THC vape.' The boy had 'droopy eyes' and was trying to go to sleep.
The Sheriff's Office met with the boy's grandmother, who stated that she, the boy's dad, and the boy's aunt, later identified as Acosta, were taking care of the boy while they were eating in the kitchen area, according to court documents.
According to court documents, the grandmother said she went to the restroom, and Acosta heard the boy coughing. Acosta stood up and went to check on the boy, who was inside her bedroom. The grandmother said the boy had the THC vape in his hand.
The Sheriff's Office asked the grandmother if she knew what the vape contained, and she said 'weed.' She also said the vape belonged to Acosta and that she knew Acosta used THC vapes, according to court documents.
According to court documents, the grandmother said the boy's mother was at work when the incident occurred.
The Sheriff's Office met with Acosta, who identified herself as the boy's aunt. She said she had her THC vape somewhere in her room, where she thought the boy couldn't reach it, according to court documents.
According to court documents, Acosta showed the Sheriff's Office where the vape was originally located. She pointed to a white nightstand, which was located right next to her bed on her right-hand side.
Acosta also said the boy has ways to get into the bed and reach out for things. She said the THC vape was 'out in the open with just miscellaneous items on top covering it.' according to court documents.
According to court documents, Acosta said the vape contained THC, and that she didn't see the boy holding the vape when she entered her room, but she noticed he was red, coughing, and observed a little bit of smoke.
Acosta said she assumed the boy inhaled the vape because of the side effects of using THC vapes, according to court documents.
'It makes you cough because it burns your throat,' Acosta said while describing the effects.
According to court documents, the Sheriff's Office then met with the boy's father, who said he was working on his car's system outside when he observed a Sheriff's Office unit arrive at the house.
He said he was not aware of the incident at the time, and said Acosta and the boy's grandmother were taking care of the boy, according to court documents.
According to court documents, he also said the boy's grandmother told him that the boy 'had hit a vape pen.'
He then admitted that the THC vape belonged to Acosta, that he was aware that she uses vapes, and that he had knowledge that Acosta keeps her vape inside her room, according to court documents.
According to court documents, the Sheriff's Office, the boy's father, and the boy went to a local hospital to obtain a urine sample for the boy. After several minutes, the boy's urine returned with a positive result for THC.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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