Krystin and Somchai Lisaius. Krystin told authorities she didn't think her daughter would be affected as she waited 12 hours after taking cocaine to breastfeed.

A former American beauty queen and TV reporter has been charged with child abuse after using cocaine then breastfeeding her four-month-old baby.

Arizona couple Krystin Rae Lisaius, 26, and her husband Somchai Lisaius, 42, have both been charged over the incident which left the baby girl lethargic, unresponsive and "like a rag doll", KTLA5 reports.

The couple, who have both worked as television reporters in Arizona, were partying with friends on May 14. According to court papers, one of the friends told police he saw Krystin "do one line on the master bathroom counter top … through a rolled up receipt" shortly after putting the baby to bed.

Krystin Lisaius breastfed her daughter about 8am the next day. The court papers state that within half an hour the baby's eyes were rolling back into her head and the infant was lethargic.

Krystin Lisaius took the baby to a hospital but refused to allow doctors to carry out a blood test on the child, even though she was told the baby's symptoms could be life threatening. She then took the baby and left the hospital against the advice of doctors.

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The girl was later taken by ambulance to another hospital, where her mother again refused a blood test.

According to KTLA5, the Office of Child Welfare Investigations and Department of Child Safety became involved and ordered blood and urine tests be performed on Krystin and her baby. Both allegedly tested positive to cocaine.

Police claim Krystin Lisaius told authorities she didn't think her daughter would be affected as she had waited 12 hours after taking the cocaine to breastfeed.

Police found about $100 worth, or 1.58g, of cocaine and other evidence of drug use when they searched the couple's home in Tucson, Arizona.

The baby is now in the custody of her maternal grandmother, but Krystin Lisaius is allowed to have unlimited contact with the child.

Somchai Lisaius is allowed to have 12 hours contact with the child each day.

The couple faces three charges including possession of a dangerous drug, drug paraphernalia and child abuse. They have pleaded not guilty and are free on bail.

The couple's lawyer Michael Piccarreta said it would a "gross, gross injustice" if the couple were jailed over the incident.

"They're good, caring parents," Piccarreta told People.

"Let's assume [the] allegations are true. What you have is a recreational use event by a very, very nice couple who never dreamed that 12 hours later the substance would be in the system, and that was a mistake.



"And when the child showed any signs, which were actually lethargy, the child was taken to the hospital. The child was never injured, never in any serious risk, and basically it was very, very healthy and thriving before and healthy and thriving now."

Piccarreta said Krystin or Somchai had no criminal records and were working hard to "reuinte" their family.



"A measure of this is how you face up to the problem, deal with it and respond, because we all make mistakes," he told People.

KTLA has reported that Somchai was fired from his job as a crime reporter for KOLD-TV in the wake of the charges against him and his wife.