Child Hospitalized in Methamphetamine-Soda Pop Tragedy

By Sarah Harper

Published on February 26, 2009

On Monday, an 11-year-old girl was hospitalized after drinking acid in a soda pop can on her family's property in Alabama.

The child was playing, took a sip from the bottle, and, five days later, is in critical condition and fighting for her life in the hospital. According to the Anniston Star, if the child lives, she will spend the rest of her life with a feeding tube or IV.

Investigators believe the tainted soda pop can be attributed to the child's 42-year-old cousin, Wayne Thurman Tubbs, who police believe was operating a "shake and bake" meth lab on the family's property. Police believe the soda pop can was one of the tools Tubbs was using to manufacture the drug.

Tubbs is a wanted methamphetamine manufacturer, known by police to have operated at least six meth labs. When authorities began their search for Tubbs, they started at a different residence, at which they found another meth lab.

Tubbs will likely face felony charges for unlawful manufacturing of a controlled substance, assault in the first degree, and chemical endangerment of a child.

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