Auburn Toddler Left With Severe Brain Injury; Mother's Boyfriend Charged in 7-OH Case

A 2-year-old boy in Auburn, Indiana, suffered a catastrophic brain injury after police say he was exposed to 7-OH, a concentrated drug derived from kratom. A 20-year-old man has been charged in the case.

Kole Schwarz is accused of neglect of a dependent resulting in catastrophic injury. Court records identify him as the live-in boyfriend of the child's mother at the time of the incident.

Relatives say the boy was rushed to a hospital in DeKalb County on Sept. 6. According to the probable cause affidavit, he was unresponsive and was placed in a medically induced coma. He was later moved to Riley Hospital in Indianapolis.

Court papers state that a specialized lab test found kratom-related drugs in the child's blood. The affidavit also notes that he had an unknown green substance around his mouth, and that a doctor found MRI evidence meeting the criteria for catastrophic injury.

Investigators say the boy's mother told them she believed Schwarz used 7-OH and feared the toddler might have swallowed one. Detectives say Schwarz admitted buying tablets sold as 7-OH under the counter through a contact in Fort Wayne. The detective described that product as the likely source of the exposure. Schwarz told police the tablets remained sealed in his pocket. Auburn police said the mother is not a suspect and has cooperated throughout the investigation.

The boy's grandmother, Josie Casebere, said she spent six weeks at the hospital with him. "It's been the hardest thing in my life. I mean, I've lost parents and friends, and this is... I know we didn't lose him, but it's still been the hardest thing I've ever went through," she said. She added that he has a wheelchair order meant to fit him until he is six, and that doctors do not know whether he will walk again.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration describes 7-OH as a potent opioid concentrated from kratom. It has warned of a "concerning proliferation of concentrated 7-OH products that are sold over the counter and online." The agency's report calls the issue a public health threat that requires "immediate and impactful policies to educate consumers and take regulatory action that limits access to 7-OH-containing products."

The substance is illegal in Indiana, but in neighboring Michigan it is sold as gummies, drinks and pills, and the state has no statewide age limit. Last week, Berrien County health officials warned that kratom-related hospitalizations are rising. Their advisory says kratom contains 7-hydroxymitragynine, which acts like an opioid and can cause severe withdrawal symptoms. It notes the substance is increasingly popular among teens and is sold at gas stations and smoke shops. Although marketed as an energy booster, mood lifter, pain reliever and aid for quitting opioids, the county says kratom can cause seizures, liver toxicity, substance use disorder and overdose.

Casebere said she decided to speak publicly to raise awareness. "They're labeling it however they want to. Because it's not regulated. And they're selling it to our kids," she said.