Heartbreaking Video Shows Toddler Tugging At Mom Who Overdosed In Store

LAWRENCE, Mass. (AP/KDKA) - A disturbing video shows a toddler crying and tugging at her mother after she apparently passed out from a drug overdose and collapsed to the floor of a Massachusetts dollar store.

Authorities in Lawrence say the Department of Children and Families took the 2-year-old girl into custody after Sunday's incident.

Police released the video on Wednesday. The video shows the mother sprawled in an aisle of a Family Dollar store and her daughter desperately trying to wake her up.

According to CBS Boston, a clerk called 911 and paramedics arrived a short time later.

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Lawrence police Chief James Fitzpatrick calls the incident a "heartbreaking" example of how drug addiction affects families.

"It's very disturbing to see someone like this. It's obvious addiction has overtaken them, to the point of not being able to care for their child," Fitzpatrick told CBS Boston.

In a nearby diaper bag police found baggies and straws with residue from either fentanyl or heroin they say the woman likely inhaled.

"She's lucky to be alive," said Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick says the mother will be charged with child endangerment.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)