Mom facing Rock Hill drug charge determined to get children back

ROCK HILL Kristian McManus said that a week before she gave birth to a son, she took Lortab and Klonopin to calm her nerves and stop her pain. An hour before delivery, she swallowed half a Percocet.

I was in so much pain, she said. When that pain came, I couldnt help myself.

What I did was a mistake.

On Feb. 17, Mcmanus, 22, gave birth to Brendyn Perdue. Four days later, the York County office of the Department of Social Services took custody of the newborn and Mcmanus daughter, 1-year-old Mary Katherine Perdue, after doctors told police she tested positive for opiates and benzodiazepines in her system just before delivery.

According to a Rock Hill police report, she had trouble staying awake during labor. Test results determining if the baby tested positive for drugs are pending, said Rock Hill Police spokesman Mark Bollinger.

Police investigated and last month issued a warrant for Mcmanus, saying she took benzodiazepines not prescribed to her during her third trimester and put her child at an unreasonable risk of harm.

Benzodiazepines act as sedatives and relaxants, and can be detected in urine tests for hours or weeks depending on the drug. They are sometimes prescribed to pregnant women to treat anxiety.

Charges were filed against Mcmanus because the drugs were found in her system before delivery, and social services officials were concerned she would be unable to properly care for her child, Bollinger said.

Mcmanus turned herself in to police and was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child, a felony carrying a maximum 10 years in prison. She was released from jail on a $3,000 bond. Her court date is in July.

She hopes her kids will return to me this month after an upcoming appearance in family court. DSS declined to comment.

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Mom facing Rock Hill drug charge determined to get children back