A Girl Refused to Drink Smoothie Allegedly Spiked by Oregon Dad: How Her Texts Led to His Arrest
Michael Meyden, 57, pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of drugging three 12-year-old girls staying at his house for a sleepover with his daughter
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Stock Image of Police TapeA 12-year-old girl’s decision to not drink an allegedly spiked smoothie at a friend’s sleepover last summer proved vital when she managed to get a ride home in the middle of the night and alert her parents that her friends might be drugged, a probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE says.
Investigators allege that 57-year-old Michael Meyden had laced a batch of smoothies with Benzodiazepines and insisted his young daughter and her three friends drink them before going to bed, according to the affidavit.
Meyden turned himself into the Lake Oswego Police Department last week and pleaded not guilty to nine felony and misdemeanor charges including causing another person to ingest a controlled substance, the department said in a news release. His bond was set at $50,000, and county jail records reviewed by PEOPLE show he’s no longer in custody.
Two of Meyden’s daughter’s friends drank the smoothies during the Aug. 25 sleepover and soon allegedly fell into a “thick, deep sleep,” one of the girls told police the next day, according to the affidavit. Police met the three girls who stayed over at Meyden’s house and their parents at the hospital the following morning. The girls’ parents became concerned when two of the girls required help walking and could not recall what happened to them the night before, with one girl telling police she “blacked out” after drinking two of the smoothies, the affidavit alleges.
Related: 'What Happened?' Girls Allegedly Drugged by Friends' Dad at Sleepover Displayed Alarming Symptoms
The mango smoothies allegedly had small white chunks in them and white powder on top, the girls told police, alleging that Meyden gave each of them a unique colored straw to use, the affidavit claims.
The girl who managed to alert her parents later in the night had decided not to finish her drink after taking a sip and complaining about the taste. She alleged to investigators that Meyden made her a new smoothie, which she also didn’t like and didn’t finish. Meyden allegedly later became “upset” with the girl, according to the affidavit, and accused the girl and his daughter of “switching straws between their first and second cup.”
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The girls stayed up for about an hour longer talking and watching TV, according to the affidavit. Two of the girls visiting the Meyden’s house shared a pull-out couch in the basement, while Meyden’s daughter and the other friend shared a bed in an adjacent bedroom.
The girl who didn't drink the smoothie “pretended to be asleep” when Meyden came down a short while after and allegedly began doing “tests” to make sure the girl sleeping next to her was asleep. She alleged to police Meyden was placing his finger under her friend’s nose and waving his hand in front of her face, according to the affidavit. Finally, he allegedly removed the girl’s arm from around her friend and began to separate them on the pull-out couch they were sharing. When Meyden went back upstairs for a moment, the girl began frantically calling and texting her mom before reaching out to several friends.
"Mom please pick me up and say I had a family emergency,” the girl frantically texted her mother at 1:43 a.m., per the affidavit. “I don't feel safe. I might not respond but please come get me (crying emoji), Please. Please pick up. Please. PLEASE!!”
Her mother did not respond, but the girl was able to reach a friend who sent their mom to Meyden’s house. The girl told Meyden she had a family emergency and he did not try to stop her from leaving. Once home, she woke up her parents and told them what happened. Her parents then reached out to the other two girls’ parents, who then went to Meyden’s house around 3 a.m. to pick up their daughters.
Later that morning, they decided to take the girls to nearby Randall Children’s Hospital, where all three of the 12-year-old girls tested positive for benzodiazepine, according to the affidavit. Police obtained a search warrant later that night and confiscated a Vitamix blender, a mortar and pestle, cups, straws, tramadol and five bottles of temazepam from Meyden’s home, per the affidavit.
Less than two months after the incident last summer, Meyden got divorced from his wife of 16 years. He’s now living in Vancouver, Wash., according to local KIRO7.
Meyden’s attorney Mark Cogan told The Oregonian his client “is presumed innocent and we hope that people will reserve judgment until all of the facts and circumstances are known.”
Additional reporting by Christine Pelisek.
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