FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ohio — A Franklin County man was arrested and charged on Wednesday after giving a 3-year-old boy a fatal dose of Benadryl, according to the sheriff's office.
Franklin County Sheriff's deputies responded to a report of an unresponsive child on April 13 in the 6000 block of London Groveport Road in Darbydale, a town southwest of Grove City.
Detectives discovered that the boy was in the care of a family friend, 35-year-old Randy Mollett.
According to a release, Mollett told deputies that the boy had a seizure. Medics took the boy to Nationwide Children's Hospital in serious condition where he later died.
The sheriff's office says Mollett gave the boy a fatal dose of diphenhydramine, an active ingredient found in Benadryl.
Franklin County Municipal Court records say detectives searched his home and found two bottles of Benadryl. Records also say that Mollett admitted to giving Benadryl to the boy, causing his death.
On May 1, detectives arrested and charged Mollett with child endangerment, reckless homicide and murder.
Mollett is currently booked into the Franklin County jail.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the Franklin County Sheriff's Office Detective Bureau at 614-525-3351. Callers can remain anonymous.
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