A St Joseph couple will serve five years each after pleading guilty to child neglect charges that arose when their 3-year-old daughter ingested methamphetamine.

Scottie Briner, 29, pleaded guilty Thursday to one count and was sentenced to five years in the Department of Corrections.

His fiance, Jean Louis Mangus, who is pregnant, pleaded guilty on Monday. Mangus was also sentenced to five years.

The child survived the incident.

As we reported earlier, deputies responded on July 10 to a home located in the 8000 block of SE Old King Hill to check the welfare of the child. The youngster was taken to Mosaic Life Care then flown by helicopter to Children’s Mercy where the child tested positive for methamphetamine and oxycodone.

Investigator Tami Parsons with the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department said in court documents that the Children’s Division removed the child from the home “…because the living conditions were unfit for anyone to live due to the filth and bug infestation of the home.”

Parsons said in court documents that this was the second time the child ingested chemicals causing her to go to the hospital while in the care of the two defendants.