Mother arrested for giving bleach to her baby

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office arrested a mother for giving a relative bleach to feed her 13-month-old baby.

On January 2, 2024, a concerned relative reported that Melissa Barnes, 22, gave her 13-month-old daughter a bottle containing bleach.

The parent discovered Barnes living in a shed without electricity with the child, in an environment described as cold, cluttered and unsanitary. The parent removed the child and attempted to feed her, but the child refused the bottle. Upon inspection, the parent discovered that the bottle contained bleach. When questioned, Barnes claimed he used bleach to rinse the bottle.

Detectives from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Special Victims Unit conducted a thorough investigation and immediately the Department of Children and Families removed the child from Barnes' care and placed with a relative.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for the shed, where they found disinfectant and bleach-based paint. The contents of the baby bottle were sent to the FBI laboratory for analysis, confirming the presence of chlorine-based bleach.

Based on these findings, on May 28, 2024, detectives obtained arrest warrants for Barnes for child abuse and neglect. On June 3, 2024, Barnes was arrested by the Highlands County Sheriff's Office.

“This case is deeply disturbing. No child deserves to be subjected to such dangerous and neglectful conditions,” » said Sheriff Chad Chronicer. “The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is committed to protecting the most vulnerable in our community, and we will work tirelessly to ensure those who harm children are held accountable.”

Barnes is currently in jail in Highlands County and will be transferred to Hillsborough County at a later date. The booking photo provided is from a parole violation arrest in January at the start of this investigation.

This case remains active and ongoing. The Office of Public Affairs will release any additional details available.