Crime & Safety
Police Investigating Underage Drinking Incident That Sends Girl, 15, to Hospital
Girl who reportedly drank large amount of vodka near Primrose Hill School in Barrington became violently ill and unresponsive last Friday night.
Teen drinking sent another Barrington girl to the hospital last Friday, Aug. 2, for alcohol poisoning. And it’s becoming a significant concern for Barrington Police Chief John LaCross and The BAY Team substance-abuse prevention coalition.
The girl, 15, was the third juvenile taken to the hospital this summer for consuming a large amount of alcohol, said LaCross.
She "became violently ill" and then "unresponsive" after returning to a 16-year-old boy’s home on Winsor Street just after midnight after apparently meeting up with him and four older juveniles in the woods near Primrose Hill School. It is believed she drank a significant amount from a water bottle filled with vodka.
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The boy reportedly drank a much smaller amount of vodka; she drank much more, he told police. He told his mother when the girl passed out and she called for EMTs.
An investigation into the incident is underway, LaCross said.
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“We need the help and cooperation of all parents,” he said. “Our goal is to save lives while getting to the root of who is purchasing alcohol for these kids and hold them accountable. It’s all about preventing tragedies.”
“It’s a community responsibility,” LaCross said. “Everybody needs to be involved.”
LaCross said police officers are talking with parents and friends of the boy and girl to determine “how the alcohol got there.”
The police chief said it is believed that the girl and boy got the alcohol from older teens who purchased it for them.
The girl and boy face charges of underage possession and consumption of alcohol and drinking alcohol on public property. But they will not be sent to Family Court.
“We’re doing something different,” LaCross said. “We’re sending both to the Juvenile Hearing Board in an effort to try get a better awareness of the repercussions of drinking” right here in Barrington.
It appeared that underage drinking had tapered off, he said. Not there have been three almost-tragic incidents again in town in a couple of months.
Anyone with information about this incident can call the Barrington police tip line at 437-3933.
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