Mom charged for pain pill sandwich

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NEW YORK, April 27 (UPI) -- A New York woman was charged after her 3-year-old daughter allegedly put painkillers in a sandwich and gave it to neighbor children, police said.

Denise Manzella, 28, of Staten Island, told police she left two of her prescribed oxycodone pills on top of a microwave last week as she was preparing snacks for her daughters, ages 3 and 5.

While Manzella was distracted, the 3-year-old allegedly slipped the pills into a jelly sandwich and urged her mother to eat it, The Staten Island (N.Y.) Advance reported Tuesday.

The sandwich instead ended up on a plate with other cut-up sandwiches, which Manzella's daughters shared with neighbor girls whose grandmother checked the sandwiches, found the pills and alerted police.

Manzella was charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a minor.

"It was a simple accident," Manzella told the Advance. "It was my fault. It wasn't carelessness on my part. It was an accident on my part."