Massachusetts man arrested after son, 5, allegedly takes heroin to school and brags it makes him feel like Spider-Man

Kristin Lam | USA TODAY

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A father in Massachusetts is facing criminal charges after his 5-year-old son allegedly brought heroin to school and said tasting it made him feel like Spider-Man.

Benny Garcia's son took a bag of heroin to kindergarten on Thursday, prosecutors said, and put some of the powder in his mouth. The boy told a teacher he got it from his living room, the Daily Hampshire Gazette reported, and said eating the powder turns him into the superhero whose image was stamped on the plastic bag.

The boy was taken to the hospital and is OK, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Green said in court, according to the Gazette.

After police received permission from the boy's mother to search the family's apartment, they found more than 200 bags of heroin and cocaine, including a Spider-Man-decorated bag similar to the one the boy had at school. As authorities handcuffed Garcia, bags of white powder fell from his person, Holyoke Police Lt. James Albert told the Gazette.

Garcia, 29, pleaded not guilty to drug possession and distribution charges and a child endangerment charge on Friday. Social services have removed the boy and an infant from the family, Albert told the Gazette.

“Our officers were quite taken by it all," Albert told the newspaper. "You don’t often deal with this.”

Garcia will be held without bail until a court hearing on Wednesday. He was previously charged with drug possession in 2018.

Contributing: The Associated Press