BARTOW, Fla. -- Bartow police have arrested a woman whose 14-year-old daughter died of a methamphetamine overdose.
The teen died in February 2018. Investigators said Audra Watson-Pender, 39, wasn't home when her daughter ingested methamphetamine that the teen found in Pender's bedroom.
Pender was found in Lake Wales and was taken into custody without incident. She faces charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child and tampering with physical evidence.
Investigators say the teen, who was at the home with Matthew Christian, 20, at the time, called her mother and told her that she ingested the drugs. About an hour later, Pender came back home to find her daughter showing signs of an overdose, police say.
Investigators say neither Pender nor Christian called for emergency services, but put the teen in a cold-water bath to try to alleviate her symptoms.
Police say Pender and Christian contacted emergency services about six hours after the mother first talked to her daughter. The teen was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Both Pender and Christian face aggravated manslaughter charges. Investigators say they found that Christian had a sexual relationship with the teen and faces additional charges of possession of child pornography and transmission of material harmful to minors.
Christian was arrested on Monday.
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10 News app now.
Have a news tip? Email tips@wtsp.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
