NewsCrime and Courts

Actions

Woman charged with attempted homicide after allegedly giving a 6-year-old boy Ambien

Posted at 1:50 PM, Oct 21, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-21 20:09:08-04

BOZEMAN — Sharice K. Andresen of Bozeman appeared in Gallatin County Justice Court on Wednesday morning after being accused of giving a 6-year-old boy Ambien in a possible poisoning attempt.

According to charging documents, on Monday, October 19, at about 11:08 pm, Gallatin County Sheriff's deputies responded to a call regarding a possible poisoning, where witnesses said Andresen told them she gave the boy two Ambien pills earlier that day.

The boy had been taken to Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital for symptoms that included vomiting, hallucinations, and incoherence.

During an interview at the Law & Justice Center, witnesses said Andresen told them “she gave him two (pills)” and that the boy would be OK. Andresen also allegedly complained about the living situation and focused on the financial issues of the home. One witness said Andresen seemed very intoxicated and probably on medications, which had become common behavior for her over the last two to three weeks.

When interviewed by a detective Tuesday morning, Andresen said she could not remember what happened and would not admit to any knowledge of the events from Monday evening. She reportedly did admit using alcohol and prescription medications at the same time and admitted using both alcohol and Ambien on Monday.

Later that day, the boy reportedly said that Andresen told him that she wanted to die because she is very old. He also said Andresen gave him two or three small circular pills from a blue and orange bottle. The boy also said that Andresen told him he needed to die and that it would be okay, according to court documents.

Andresen, 49 years old, faces a felony charge of attempted deliberate homicide. Her bail was set at $250,000 on Wednesday. Her next court appearance is scheduled for November 13.

At this point, MTN News does not know what the relationship is between the boy and Andresen. We will update you if we get more information.

From the website RXList.com: Ambien is a sedative-hypnotic (sleep) medicine. Ambien is used in adults for the short-term treatment of a sleep problem called insomnia (trouble falling asleep). Ambien is not recommended for use in children under the age of 18 years. Ambien is a federally controlled substance (C-IV) because it can be abused or lead to dependence. Selling or giving away Ambien may harm others, and is against the law.