Officials: 2 arrested after 6-year-old boy dies after given enough Benadryl to kill a man

GREER, S.C. — Two parents were arrested after a young boy died of a Benadryl overdose in October, officials said.

The investigation started on Oct. 30, 2022, when Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to a house in Greer to assist emergency medical service responders with an unresponsive boy, according to WHNS. The boy was identified as 6-year-old Aydon.

At first, deputies said that the boy’s guardians reported that Aydon fell out of a recliner and hit his head before he had a seizure, the news outlet reported. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

In a news release, the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office said a search warrant was obtained for the boy’s house, where investigators learned that he was living in filthy conditions. Investigators also learned that there were previous child abuse referrals made to the South Carolina Department of Social Services.

Aydon’s autopsy results revealed multiple bruises that were in different stages of healing, the sheriff’s office said. Toxicology results showed that the boy died from a Benadryl overdose.

The sheriff’s office said Aydon weighed about 45 pounds and had enough Benadryl in his system to kill a man.

Deputies interviewed Aydon’s parents, and his mother reportedly admitted to them that she gave him Benadryl because he was “hyperactive.”

Investigators with the State Law Enforcement Division and the Solicitor’s Office determined probable cause to arrest both parents, Sarah Elizabeth Stewart, 32, and Christopher Allen Stewart, 48.

Sarah Stewart has been charged with homicide by child abuse and unlawful neglect of a child. Christopher Stewart was charged with unlawful neglect of a child, according to WHNS.

Sarah Stewart reportedly signed guardianship of Aydon over to Christopher Stewart while she was serving time in a federal prison in West Virginia, according to the news outlet.

Sarah Stewart and Christopher Stewart were located in Abbeville County on Thursday, according to WHNS. They were taken back to Spartanburg and booked into jail. In a hearing Friday, Sarah Stewart was denied bond. Christopher Stewart was given a $10,000 bond.