Police: Students came into contact with crack cocaine - WPVI-TV

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) --

Police served a search warrant Thursday night at the home of a 13-year-old boy accused of bringing crack cocaine to an elementary school in Southwest Philadelphia.

As officers finished searching the home on the 5400 block of Eastwick Terrace on Thursday night, the child's mother came to his defense.

"My son has nothing to do with it. He is the 13-year-old and is in the clear on this," she said.

Police were called to Mitchell Elementary in the 5500 block of Kingsessing Avenue just before noon after school officials reported finding students with crack cocaine.

Police tell Action News a 13-year-old boy brought the drugs, packaged in tiny plastic bags then stored in a larger baggie, to school in the morning.

They say while upstairs in a restroom, he asked an 8-year-old boy to hold onto the crack until after school then meet him at a corner store where he would give him $7 for holding onto it.

"The 8-year-old kind of refused initially, but then the 13-year-old places the items into his bookbag," Lt. John Walker of the Philadelphia Police Department said.

Investigators say the 8-year-old took the baggie of drugs back to his own classroom.

There, he showed the drugs to two other students.

One of the students sniffed the drugs. The second student refused to sniff the drugs and alerted the school counselor.

The 13-year-old's mother says the 8-year-old made things up.

"I don't have the slightest idea why," she said.

She says her son doesn't even know the 8-year-old.

"No he does not. He just got to this school, he is a new student to this school," she said.

Police say they found eight bags of crack on the 8-year-old and eight more in a bathroom drain.

"We should all be disgusted that a 13-year-old has come in contact with crack cocaine and has the wherewithal to bring that to school," said Supt. William Hite.

All the children were evaluated at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and are doing well. The 13-year-old allegedly tested positive for marijuana.

Police have interviewed the parents of the 13-year-old and they deny any involvement.

No drugs were found in the 13-year-old's home. Detectives are trying to sort out how the teen got the drugs.

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