A 51-year-old Virginia woman was sentenced Friday to at least 12 years and nine months in prison for poisoning her three-month-old granddaughter with adult prescription medication. Alvetta Juanita Haskins pleaded guilty last year to felony homicide in the 2024 death of Skylar.
Norfolk Circuit Court Judge Jamilah LeCruise handed down the sentence of 30 years with 17 years and three months suspended. The incident took place in April 2024 when Haskins was babysitting her twin grandchildren at an apartment on Suburban Parkway.
Prosecutors said Haskins added her antipsychotic medication Seroquel and cough syrup to the baby's bottle. She later told the court she thought she was giving adult Tylenol because the infant had a stuffy nose and she lacked children's medicine.
Commonwealth's Attorney Ramin Fatehi stated that babies should never receive prescription medication without a doctor's order. Haskins expressed remorse in court, saying she wished she could take it back and did not realize the error until told by detectives.