Mother goes on crack cocaine binge in Florida motel before giving birth in the bathtub and cutting the umbilical cord with her teeth

Chrystal Hassell, 37, didn't know she was pregnant until March and smoked crack the night before she gave birth on Friday

Gave birth to a premature son in the bathtub of a motel and called police because he started turning blue

The boy is now in critical condition at a Gainesville hospital and Hassell is on suicide watch

The baby's father is her boyfriend who is in jail on attempted murder charges



A newborn is in critical condition after being born in a motel bathtub when his mother was on a crack cocaine binge.

Chrystal A. Hassell has been arrested for child neglect after she called the police to alert them that the baby boy was turning blue on Friday night.

The premature baby is in critical condition and the mother is on suicide watch at the Marion County jail in Florida.

Earlier pregnancy: When Chrystal Hassell was arrested on Friday, police took custody of her 11-month-old son (she is pictured during that pregnancy above) and the newborn, both boys' father is Terry who is in jail

The Ocala Star Banner reports that the baby and his 11-month-old brother have been taken into custody by the Department of Children and Families, and the 11-month-old has been put into foster care.

Hassell, 37, also has a 16-year-old daughter who was born addicted to drugs as a result of Hassell's drug use during her pregnancy.



She told police that she has been using the illegal substances since she was a teenager.



Once she found out that she was pregnant in March- at which point doctors told her she was six or seven months along- she vowed not to smoke crack because of the baby.

That didn't last, however, and the day before the baby was born, she checked into the Vacation Host Inn and went on a binge.

The baby was born in the bathtub and Hassell used her teeth to cut the umbilical cord.

Arrested: Chrystal Hassell (pictured) only learned that she was pregnant in March when doctors told her she was six or seven months along, and she tried not to do drugs during the pregnancy but couldn't last

Suicide watch: Hassell has been placed in a guarded ward and was arrested for child neglect after she called the police because her newborn was turning blue

The baby's father is Hassell's boyfriend Vincent Terry who is currently in jail as well after a warrant for attempted murder and domestic violence was issued for him stemming from an unspecified incident in El Pasco County, Colorado.

Terry, 43, is the father of both the newborn and the 11-month-old boy.

'I knew she had a history of doing drugs, but not that she was doing drugs. She just found out she was pregnant,' Terry said to the Ocala Star Banner on Tuesday.

He and Hassell appeared together at a court hearing on Tuesday to determine what should be done about their children while they are in jail.

Between her Friday arrest and the court hearing, the 11-year-old was in DCF custody and the newborn remains in critical condition at the UF Heatlh Shands Hospital in Gainesville.

Behind bars: Hassell was arrested Friday (left) and her boyfriend, the newborn's father, Vincent Terry (right) was already in jail for attempted murder and domestic violence charges from when they lived in Colorado

Now the parents have given over a list of names of relatives who could watch the children but DCF will be running background checks on the individuals before handing over care.

The status of Hassell's 16-year-old daughter from another relationship is unclear.

'Of course we’re going to stay together. My kids are here. She’s not a bad person. She just got a problem and, together, we’ll fight it,' Terry told the Ocala Star Banner.

Terry told the paper that they have picked out a name for the boy- that they would not publicly disclose- and are trying to get in touch with the hospital so that the name could be added to the boy's birth certificate.

Longstanding issues: Hassell has a daughter who is now 16-years-old (pictured together in 2009) who was born addicted to drugs because Hassell smoked crack during the pregnancy

Child neglect charges have been filed against Hassell though it is unclear what, if anything, she will face regarding the possible drug possession and use.

Terry said that he thought that probation for his earlier drug possession charge had expired and did not realize that he was breaking the law by leaving Colorado.