44-year-old Portsmouth woman arrested after 10-year-old revives her with Narcan

Portsmouth, RI – A local woman has been arrested after a child had to revive her with Narcan.

According to Major Michael Morse, on Friday at approximately 8:30 p.m., members of the Portsmouth Police Department arrested 44-year-old Lauren Nortz at her residence on Park Avenue, following an investigation into child endangerment.

The investigation began last Thursday, at approximately 7:30 p.m., when the Portsmouth Police Department received a 911 call from a 10-year-old child reporting a medical emergency. Upon arrival, officers observed signs of a drug overdose, as well as narcotics inside the residence. The substances were discovered unsecured, creating a dangerous environment accessible to the child. Additionally, several containers of discarded Narcan were located in the home. The investigation revealed that the 10-year-old child had utilized Narcan on the woman. It was later learned that the child had learned how to utilize this life-saving medication after receiving previous guidance from a family member as well as reading the instructions on the packaging.

The Portsmouth Police Detective Division investigated the incident and during an interview, Nortz admitted to drug use and confirmed that narcotics and related paraphernalia were present in the home and accessible to the child. The Department of Children, Youth, and Families was contacted and remains involved keeping the child safe.

Nortz was charged with Child Endangerment. She was arraigned at police headquarters by a Justice of the Peace and released on $2,000 surety bail. As a condition of her release, she is prohibited from having contact with the child.

Nortz is scheduled for formal arraignment at the 2nd Division District Court on Thursday.