TIA: child ate drug-laced Skittles

TAMPA - Tampa International Airport police and Hillsborough County deputies are investigating a report that a 4-year-old child ate candy laced with narcotics.

The drugs were found inside a package of blue tropical flavor Skittles that 4-year-old Bailey Barzano was eating at the airport Sunday morning, according to airport police.

Investigators say Bailey's grandmother took her to the restroom, and when they came back to the car, the little girl had the Skittles. Bailey swallowed them, and not much later, she asked to spit out the window, and started complaining of a stomach ache.

They didn't think much of it, until her uncle arrived, and asked for something to eat. That's when they realized what had happened.

James Shye, Bailey's uncle, said he poured the contents of the bag into his hand after the little girl ate them, and was shocked.

"I tore the bag open and when I ripped the bag they went all over me and I started picking them all up and trying to figure out what was in there, and I found oxy 20's and my mom started crying and screaming," he said.

They rushed her to University Community Hospital, and doctors kept her overnight. She is better now, but her family is left questioning why she got the drugs, and are determined to prevent other families from enduring the same ordeal.

"It's really scary to think an un-opened bag of candy can be so hazardous," said Major Harold Winslett with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Airport officials have pulled all flavors of Skittles in the same size package as a precaution, but said a check of all the bags show no signs of drugs or tampering.