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Man who forced nearly unconscious boy to go to school charged with neglect: police

The boy had gotten into medication the night before, according to officials.
Credit: Pinellas County Jail

PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — A Pinellas Park man is facing child neglect charges for forcing a boy to go to school even though he was passing out from taking medication, police said.

According to an affidavit, on Dec. 18, Terrence Lamar Carter, 37, did not properly supervise medication, so the 10-year-old boy took some.

Police said the boy fell asleep at the dinner table that night and did not wake up on the morning of Dec. 19. Carter poured water on the boy to wake him up, then had to help him dress, police said.

As the boy was heading to the car to go to school, he was walking slowly and stumbling, dropping things, the affidavit said, and Carter's girlfriend said the boy "passed out" on the way to school.

Carter told police that when they arrived at school, he woke the boy up and helped him get inside. School surveillance video shows the boy had a difficult time getting to the school door.

The boy passed out in front of school staff, and they said he had foam in his mouth and had urinated on himself.

An examination was done Jan. 7 showed a reasonable person would have sought medical care for the boy, police said.

Carter was arrested Wednesday and charged with child neglect. He remains in jail.

Records show previous arrests for domestic violence, aggravated battery and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

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