In mixup, toddler served alcohol at Applebee's restaurant, police say

In mixup, toddler served alcohol at Applebee's restaurant, police say

By Leigh Remizowski, CNN
April 11, 2011 1:55 p.m. EDT



Dominic Wilson Jr. was apparently given an alcoholic concoction instead of apple juice at an Applebee's restaurant.


(CNN) -- A 15-month-old was hospitalized after a behind-the-bar mix-up at a Michigan Applebee's restaurant that left the toddler sipping alcohol instead of apple juice.

Police were called to the Madison Heights restaurant on Friday evening after the parents of Dominic Wilson Jr. noticed their son acting strange during a family dinner.

"He was saying 'hi' and 'bye' to the walls," said Wilson's mother, Taylor Dill-Reese, 18. "He laid his head down like he was sleepy, then woke up and got really hyper."

At first, Dill-Reese blamed his odd behavior on lack of sleep. But at the end of the meal, she said Wilson's father was stunned by what he tasted after taking a sip of his son's juice.

The juice was an alcoholic concoction that was stored in a mislabeled container, according to a Madison Heights Police Department news release.

"The container was apple juice but it had margarita mix in it," Dill-Reese said.

Wilson was immediately rushed to the hospital, where his blood alcohol content was measured at 0.10, Dill-Reese said.

"They said if he had drank that whole cup he would have died," she said, adding that she and her family will never return to the eatery.

"It was unreal," she said. "You don't expect to go to a family restaurant, and your 15-month-old gets served alcohol."

Dill-Reese said the child is doing OK but they are taking him to see a doctor because he's "not eating like he used to."

Dill-Reese said she and her boyfriend -- both of whom are under 21 and not legally allowed to drink -- were both drinking smoothies during the meal.

"Obviously any situation like this is unacceptable," Applebee's officials said in a statement. "We are working with local authorities and conducting our own investigation to assess exactly what happened."

Police have deemed the incident an accident.