Child Pricks Self with Heroin-Laced Syringe found in front yard

2002-04-20
GEOFF GRAMMER
The Santa Fe New Mexican- April 20, 2002
(Copyright 2002 Santa Fe New Mexican)

Emilio Ray Acuna will have to be tested for AIDS until age 10 Tammy Urban was visibly distraught as she leaned on a chain-link fence in the dirt yard in front of her home in the 1700 block of Hopewell Street on Friday.

Fighting back tears, she explained how she will have to take her 4-year-old son, Emilio Ray Acuna, to the doctor every six months until he is 10 to get him tested for AIDS.

Tuesday, Emilio Ray was playing in the yard with his 5-year-old sister when he pricked his thumb with a syringe that later tested positive for heroin.
"My daughter brought it in the house and Emilio Ray walked in behind her holding his thumb," Urban said. "I rushed him to the hospital right away."

Doctors at St. Vincent Hospital drew a sample of blood from Emilio Ray and will test it for hepatitis B and AIDS. Results on the blood sample will not be available until Tuesday at the earliest, Urban said.

"Waiting is so hard," Urban said. "I just worry so much about what they (the doctors) might say. The wait now is the hardest thing."

If Emilio Ray shared his mother's concern, he was not showing it Friday as he zipped in and out of his yard on a scooter, grinning from ear to ear.

"He doesn't understand what is going on," Urban said. "He knew something was wrong when I took him to the emergency room, but I just explained to him some bad people put the needle in the yard, and I wanted to make sure he wasn't sick."
Urban said she has little doubt who put the syringe her yard. Urban said she has complained numerous times to the city Housing Authority, which operates the public housing unit where Urban lives, about people in her neighborhood shooting up heroin in plain view of her four children.

Police would not comment on any specific cases of heroin use in the neighborhood.
Deputy Police Chief Beverly Lennen said police are unable to pinpoint who used the hypodermic needle Emilio Ray found. "In this particular case, we were unable to tie it to anyone," Lennen said.
Police were asked to test the needle for narcotics, but criminal charges have not been filed.

Urban, who has lived at 1760 Hopewell St. for eight months, said she can't continue to put her children in danger.

"This is the only time something like this has happened in my yard," Urban said. "That doesn't mean it can't happen again if they don't start doing something about it."