An Oregon father accused of drugging his daughters 12-year-old friends at a sleepover last summer turned himself in on Wednesday, Lake Oswego Police announced .
Michael Meyden, 57, is facing three counts of causing another to ingest a controlled substance, application of a Schedule 4 controlled substance to another, and delivery of a controlled substance to a minor after detectives determined he allegedly exposed his daughters friends to a prescription drug, police said.
Staff at a local hospital had notified police on Aug. 26, 2023, of three 12-year-old girls whose bloodstreams contained the drug.
Meyden pleaded not guilty to all charges at his arraignment on Wednesday, according to The Oregonian .
Police alleged that Meyden had laced mango smoothies with benzodiazepines, depressants that slow the nervous system, and served them to the three girls at his daughters sleepover, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by HuffPost.
Detectives noted that when they interviewed the girls on the morning after the sleepover, one of them walked slowly and used the assistance of her mother for balance, her eyelids were heavy, and she spoke slowly.
The girls told police that Meyden had been very involved with their activities during the sleepover, that night and made them smoothies that had tiny white chunks throughout and sprinkled on top, the affidavit said.
Mr. Meyden was adamant that the girls drink out of their own cups, detectives said.
One of the girls told police she didnt like the smoothie, but Meyden allegedly insisted she drink it and made her a second one to try.
Police also alleged that after the girls went to bed in the homes basement, Meyden visited them throughout the night to check if they were awake by waving his hands or putting his finger under their noses.
One girl recounted that Meyden moved her body, but she remained awake in fear that Mr. Meyden was going to do something. When Meyden left the room, one girl sent a text to her mom for help at around 1:43 a.m.
Mom please pick me up and say I had a family emergency. I dont feel safe. I might not respond but please come get me (crying emoji), Please. Please pick up. Please. PLEASE!! the message read.
One girl called and texted several friends requesting a ride, police said in the affidavit.
And one girl texted a family friend that she felt unsafe because of her friends dad. She wrote that she was scared and that the father kept moving us away from each other but kept doing tests to make sure we werent awake. She added that one friend woke up for like 2 seconds, but kept her eyes closed and didnt talk.
The family friend agreed to pick the girl up.
It was not clear from the affidavit whether all the requests for help were sent by the same girl, or if multiple girls were texting for help.
Meyden allegedly returned to the basement to check if the girls were asleep several times. The family friend who had received the message came to pick her up in the middle of the night.
When the family friend arrived, she was greeted by Meyden, who she later told police seemed drunk after noticing his speech was slurred, according to the affidavit. The family friend told Meyden the girl had a family emergency and he allowed her to leave.
The family friend drove the girl home, where she woke up the childs parents so they could contact the other parents and tell them to pick the girls up.
When the other parents arrived at Meydens home, they were met with resistance from the host when told they were taking the girls home, according to the document. Meyden allegedly said the girls were asleep and insisted the parents come back later.
In an email to HuffPost on Friday, defense attorney Mark Cogan emphasized that Meyden is presumed innocent, adding, We have not seen the evidence.
According to Cogan, the grand jury that indicted Meyden convened in secret without a judge or defense counsel present.
We ask everyone to withhold judgment until all the facts are known, Cogan stated in the email.
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