EAST BROOKFIELD — A 30-year-old Spencer man has been charged with giving a 3-year-old an injection of heroin that he allegedly thought might make the sick child feel better.

Police said Jeffrey P. LeBlanc was arrested Sunday in Shrewsbury on a warrant for a probation violation. Police had been looking for him for about a week after he left town while they were investigating the Oct. 21 incident. On that day, the child was taken by ambulance to the UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester after she started “nodding off,’’ according to a police report.

Sergeant Michael L. Befford said police were notified that the child had heroin in her system and that a needle mark was found on her right arm. She has since recovered and is in state custody, police said.

During questioning by police, LeBlanc allegedly admitted to injecting his girlfriend’s daughter with heroin while he was caring for her, Befford said.

Police said LeBlanc told them he had been using drugs when he gave her the injection.

He was arraigned in Western Worcester District Court Monday on charges of distributing drugs to a minor, assault and battery on a child causing substantial injury, reckless endangerment of a child, and being present where heroin is kept. Because he has three pending cases in the court, he was ordered held in lieu of $105,000 bail, $35,000 on each.

In the open cases, he is charged with stealing a chain saw and a guitar that he allegedly pawned for drug money.

He was on probation in the third case for breaking and entering in the daytime with the intent to commit a felony and larceny of property valued at more than $250. He had suspended sentences of 18 months and 2 1/2 years in that case.

Mr. LeBlanc is due back in court Dec. 14.

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