CINCINNATI -- Morgan Story broke down in tears Thursday night as she watched surveillance video of her sister -- once an inseparable, "unstoppable" companion -- using heroin in an Over-the-Rhine alley.
Lauren Story's 4-year-old son, Morgan's nephew, played on a smartphone while his mother crouched beside him and injected the drug into her arm.
"I hope this is rock bottom," Morgan said. "If it isn't, I don't want to think about what would be."
Lauren E. Story
Lauren Story, 29, was arrested and charged Thursday morning with endangering her son as well as possession of drug abuse instruments and drug paraphernalia. For Jon Donaldson, a longtime Over-the-Rhine resident who said he witnessed the incident Wednesday, it was among the most disturbing things he'd ever seen.
BELOW: Footage of the incident
"(Story and her partner) were not paying attention to the boy at all, their focus was on their drugs … the boy was just sitting against the wall really behaving and watching his parents just put poison in their arms," he said.
For Morgan Story, it was heartbreaking -- but not surprising. She said her sister had been dealing with substance abuse issues for years: First drinking, then pain pills after a back injury and finally heroin.
"She changed," Morgan said. "It was just a gradual descent. I don't even think she saw herself going down that road until she was gone."
Cincinnati police records back up Morgan's account of her sister's struggles with addiction. According to court documents, Lauren had previously faced charges including operating a vehicle under the influence and driving while intoxicated.
"I just want her to get help and realize she is better than that, because everybody is better than that and there is help," Morgan said.
