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Pasco Teen Charged With Tainting Allergic Mom's Food

By LISA A. DAVIS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 21, 2008

DADE CITY - A 16-year-old Pasco High School student was arrested Tuesday, accused of tampering with her mom's food, knowing she would have an allergic reaction.

Pasco County deputies arrested Christina Shehow at school after the teen told them she put seasoning salt on her mother's food.

Deputies say she told them she is not happy with her home life but didn't mean to hurt her mother.

On May 7, Shehow's stepfather, William Goodwin, went to the sheriff's District II office and reported that he thought his stepdaughter might be tampering with his wife's food

Lenna Mercer-Goodwin, 39, had been having several unexplained allergic reactions, at least one so bad she had to use an EpiPen, a shot containing epinephrine that is used to counteract allergic reactions, according to reports.

According to the report, Mercer-Goodwin was at her other daughter's baseball practice and had to leave early because of an allergic reaction. Shehow had to stick her mother with the pen because Mercer-Goodwin was too ill to do it herself, a report states.

At least on one occasion, a report states, 11-year-old Samantha Shehow saw her sister sprinkle seasoning salt on their mother's food but was too scared to warn her.

Her sister told her she would "beat her up until she was dead" if she told, according to the report.

Samantha said her sister was upset with their mother because her cell phone was taken away because she was texting too much, the report states.

Mercer-Goodwin told deputies she has had a difficult time with her older daughter since divorcing the child's father. When Shehow is at her father's, Mercer-Goodwin told deputies, she doesn't have to do chores.

Shehow, of 39623 Mercer Road, Lacoochee, was taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center in Land O' Lakes and booked on a felony charge of aggravated domestic violence.

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