Ohio day care worker accused of drugging children to get them to sleep

June 19, 2013 (COLUMBUS, Ohio)

Tammy Eppley was charged Monday in Columbus with six counts of child endangering after police in nearby Westerville said they obtained text messages in which she admitted giving children the allergy medicine Benadryl and the hormone and sleep aid melatonin.

Police say Eppley jokes in one text that a child almost discovered her action after saying sprinkles on some cupcakes tasted funny.

The 37-year-old Eppley denies the accusations. She says the text messages were tongue-in-cheek jokes she regrets and they don't refer to anything that really happened.

Police reports don't indicate any children were hurt.

A county children's services agency investigation couldn't substantiate allegations of physical abuse against Eppley.

Copyright © 2024 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.