12-Year-Old Rogers County Girl Dead From Apparent Overdose; Grandmother Arrested

<p>The grandmother of a 12-year-old girl who died after an apparent overdose faces charges.</p>

Monday, April 10th 2017, 11:10 pm

By: Justin Shrair


The grandmother of a 12-year-old girl who died after an apparent overdose faces charges.

Special agents with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation arrested Velva Patteson, who is accused of felony child neglect. Investigators said she failed to get help for the child.

Major Coy Jenkins with the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office said his agency deals with a lot of child neglect cases, and that it’s important people put children first.

"It tends to happen when people are not prioritizing the needs and care of their children," Jenkins said.

Saturday, law enforcement was called to Claremore’s Hillcrest Hospital for an incident involving an unresponsive child. The child later died and police arrested her grandmother.

4/10/2017 Related Story: OSBI Investigating Death Of 12-Year-Old Rogers County Girl

"For all purposes, it appears that may have been some negligence factors involved in this case," Jenkins said.

Officials said they believe the young girl ingested medication and that the girl’s grandmother failed to act when she found the child needing help.

Jenkins said he's seen similar cases involving neglect and urges parents and caregivers to seek help immediately in those situations.

He said, generally, people become too concerned that they're going to get in trouble, so they start acting irrationally, which can end in devastation.

"Then you talk about family members that didn't take an active part in this, and how do you, how do you sit them down and tell them that they've lost somebody very, very, near to them. It's tragic," Jenkins said.

The grandmother is being held at the Rogers County Jail.

Earlier Monday, authorities were looking to locate the 12-year old's half-sister, we’re told she has been located and put into protective custody.

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