UPDATE: Police Say Naugatuck Woman on Drugs Swings Baby Like a Baseball Bat in Street

We updated this article at 7:23 p.m. on Oct. 10, 2013

A Naugatuck woman was arrested for allegedly swinging her 1-year-old child like a baseball bat in the road on Maple Street Wednesday evening.

Aurora Houghtaling, 39, of 87 South Main St., Naugatuck, was under the influence of drugs, and was holding her 1-year-old child by the feet and swinging the child around-and-around like a baseball bat before police arrived, took the child out of her hands and brought the child to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center for evaluation, police said.

The incident happened at 6:28 p.m. when police officers responded to Maple Street after receiving several 911 calls about a woman swinging a child by the child's feet, police said. Police said that when they arrived, the woman refused to stop swinging the baby and appeared to be under the influence of drugs as she was making irrational statements, such as how the government was tapping her cell phone, police said. She did not want to let the child go despite police commands to do so, police said. 

Naugatuck Ambulance was dispatched to the scene, and the woman refused to give up the child, police said. 

During the investigation, police determined she had been snorting crushed up methylphedidate pills, which are used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, police said.

She was brought to a local hospital for psychiatric and drug evaluations and was still there early Thursday evening. She is being held by police on a $10,000 surety bond. 

Ordinarily, the Connecticut Department of Children and Families gets involved right away in a situation like this, which is what is believed to have happened here. DCF does not discuss ongoing investigations. 

Police said there was no apparent signs of injury to the child and that they just wanted to have the baby evaluated by a medical professional. 

Houghtaling was charged with breach of peace, risk of injury to a minor, interfering with a police officer and use of drug paraphernalia. Her court date has not yet been determined. 

Houghtaling has pending cases at Waterbury Superior Court for disorderly conduct and second-degree failure to appear. She has three prior convictions for second-degree failure to appear (two counts) and probation violation, for which she was sentenced to a year in jail after being arrested in Waterbury in 2006, according to the state Judicial Branch website.