Report: Dad Accused of Drugging Daughter’s Friends During Sleepover
In a disturbing incident that unfolded during a sleepover last August, a father in northwestern Oregon is facing serious allegations of spiking the smoothies of his daughter’s 12-year-old friends with sedatives. Authorities from the Lake Oswego Police Department (LOPD) revealed the shocking details in a recent press release, shedding light on the disturbing events that transpired at Michael Meyden’s home.
On August 26, 2023, three 12-year-old girls, guests at Meyden’s residence, were rushed to a children’s hospital after exhibiting symptoms of exposure to an “unknown prescription drug.” Following an extensive investigation, LOPD detectives concluded that Michael Meyden, a 57-year-old man, was allegedly responsible for contaminating the girls’ bloodstreams with drugs.
A 57-year-old Lake Oswego man was just indicted by a Clackamas County Grand Jury for drugging girls at a sleepover late last summer. Read more here: https://t.co/0dC3KK3EHI pic.twitter.com/QYrnCNHzy2
— Lake Oswego Police (@LOPolice) February 29, 2024
Meyden voluntarily presented himself at the Clackamas County Jail and now faces serious charges, including three counts each of “Causing Another to Ingest a Controlled Substance,” “Application of a Schedule-4 Controlled Substance to Another,” and “Delivery of a Controlled Substance to a Minor,” according to the LOPD.
Detective Nicole Palmeri, who spearheaded the investigation, identified the drug used by Meyden as benzodiazepine, a class of depressants known for producing sedation and hypnosis. The Drug Enforcement Administration notes that benzodiazepines are legally obtainable only by prescription.
The court affidavit, as reported by The Oregonian, provides chilling details of the alleged incident. The girls suspected that their mango drinks, served by Meyden, had been tampered with when they noticed “tiny white chunks throughout and sprinkled on top.” Despite one girl expressing reluctance to drink the smoothie, Meyden allegedly insisted and even provided another one.
According to the affidavit, Meyden directed the girls to get ready for bed and reportedly checked on them multiple times in the basement, waving in one girl’s face and manipulating another’s arm and body. Sensing something was amiss, one of the girls pretended to drink the smoothie, later texting her mother about feeling unsafe and urgently needing to be picked up.
The text read: “Mom please pick me up and say I had a family emergency. I don’t feel safe. I might not respond but please come get me (crying emoji), Please. Please pick up. Please. PLEASE!!” A family friend retrieved the girl, and her parents subsequently reached out to the other parents, leading to Meyden’s confrontation with concerned parents at his house.
One of the girls exhibited concerning symptoms approximately 12 hours after the alleged drugging, including heavy eyelids, slow speech, and a feeling of wooziness and clumsiness. She described falling into a “thick, deep sleep” and repeatedly asked her parents about the events that unfolded after leaving Meyden’s house.
The shocking incident has left the community in disbelief, prompting a thorough investigation and raising concerns about the safety of children during seemingly innocent sleepovers.
