The Brief 48-year-old Chrishelle Hemphill was arrested by the Fort Worth Police Department on Wednesday and charged with injury to a child - serious bodily injury. Hemphill was arrested after an investigation into a child's death at her dental office in April. A toxic amount of meperidine was found in the child's system after death. An arrest affidavit states Hemphill did not properly recognize the respiratory troubles the child was having, and failed to properly administer medication to address the opiate overdose.



A Fort Worth dentist was arrested on Wednesday after an investigation into a child's death at her dental office in April.

Fort Worth dentist arrested

Chrishelle Hemphill, 48

What we know:

48-year-old Chrishelle Hemphill was arrested on July 15 and charged with injury to a child - serious bodily injury.

Investigators determined Hemphill was responsible for the April death of 4-year-old Aithana Arriaga at Cuddle Kids Dental in Fort Worth.

Dig deeper:

An arrest affidavit states Arriaga did not wake up following a procedure on her tongue performed by Hemphill on Apr. 1. The victim's mother told police she felt rushed to sign documents for the procedure by Hemphill.

According to the affidavit, Hemphill encouraged Aithana to drink a clear liquid medicine before the surgery. An unusually high amount of meperidine (demerol, an opiate) was found in the child's blood system.

A medical examiner said the amount in the child's system would have been toxic for an adult.

Investigators also found Hemphill failed to properly address signs of respiratory distress, and gave the victim improper medication to address an opiate overdose.

The affidavit states Hemphill held a popsicle up to Arriaga's lips when the child's head fell backwards. A temp dentist assisted with CPR before the child was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.

Hemphill used an AED to check the child's pulse after finding the victim unresponsive, despite Arriaga having a pulse. Flumazenil was also found in Arriaga's sytem to counteract the meperidine overdose, when Narcan should have been administered.

What th

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