A Lincolnton couple is facing felony charges after deputies say their 19-month-old child tested positive for narcotics and had to be treated at a local hospital. According to investigators, the parents left the emergency department with the child before law enforcement could get there, then were stopped a short time later during a traffic stop near Car Farm Road in Lincolnton. The adults, identified as Alyssa Woody and Brandon Treadway, were booked on felony negligent child abuse charges and were being held without bond. Hospital officials say the child was treated and is expected to make a full recovery.
What deputies say
The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office opened the case after getting word that a child in the emergency department had tested positive for narcotics, according to WCCB Charlotte. That report identified Woody and Treadway as the arrested pair and stated that deputies found them shortly after they left the hospital. Deputies told the station the traffic stop happened near Car Farm Road in Lincolnton and that the child needed hospital treatment related to the exposure. The sheriff's office has not released further details on what specific substances were involved.
Arrest and charges
WCCB Charlotte reported that deputies received information that a child in the emergency department had tested positive for narcotics, then later stopped the couple near Car Farm Road. The outlet notes that Woody and Treadway were charged with felony negligent child abuse and were being held with no bond. Investigators have not said how the exposure happened or if they expect to charge anyone else. Prosecutors in Lincoln County are expected to review the evidence as the case moves ahead.
A regional pattern
Incidents in which infants and toddlers are hospitalized after exposure to fentanyl and other opioids have become a recurring problem across the Carolinas, and in several cases prosecutors have filed felony charges against caregivers, according to prior coverage. WRAL documented a 2023 Siler City case where an 11-month-old tested positive for fentanyl and the parents were charged, while WSOC reported on a 2025 Bessemer City incident in which an eight-month-old overdosed and the parents faced multiple felony counts. Together, those cases highlight growing pressure on emergency departments and child welfare agencies when very young children come into contact with illicit drugs.
Legal implications
Under North Carolina law, negligent child abuse that shows a reckless disregard for human life and results in serious physical injury can be prosecuted as a felony under N.C. Gen. Stat. a7 14-318.4, according to legal records on Justia. That statute has been used in recent cases involving drug exposure and severe neglect. If prosecutors move forward with the felony counts, the defendants in the Lincolnton case will proceed through the Lincoln County court system under that framework.
What happens next
Investigators say the probe remains active and that more details will be released as formal charges are finalized and court dates are scheduled. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. Hoodline will monitor public filings and update this story as court records and dockets become available.
