An Oregon dad who admitted to giving his daughter's 12-year-old friends drug-laced smoothies during a sleepover at his house is now the subject of a multi-million dollar lawsuit filed by one of the victim's families.
Convicted felon Michael Meyden, 57, and his ex-wife, Yukiko Meyden, are named as defendants in the suit filed earlier this week in Clackamas County Circuit Court, according to court records, The Oregonian reported.
Scott Horsfield, the father of one of the victims, is listed as plaintiff.
Horsfield is seeking a $2.4 million payout on behalf of his daughter for battery and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress allegedly perpetrated by the Meydens during a sleepover at their Lake Oswego, Oregon home in 2023.
Meyden confessed to lacing the mango smoothies he prepared for his daughter and her three friends with benzodiazepine – an anti-anxiety drug which is also used to treat insomnia and causes drowsiness – the paper reported, citing court documents.
He "insisted" the girls drink the smoothies, court records read, according to KGW-TV.
One of the girls only sipped on her smoothie after noticing her friends were "acting oddly and in a manner that was concerning," said investigators. The girl witnessed the others seemed "very ill" and they fell asleep in the basement. The victim – who pretended to sleep – said Meyden repeatedly checked to make sure the girls were sleeping through the night by waving his hand in front of their faces and checking for breathing.
His behavior prompted her to send out frantic texts in the middle of the night to her mother.
"Mom please pick me up and say I had a family emergency. I don't feel safe. I might not respond but please come get me," one of the texts read, according to court documents, NBC News reported. "Please. Please pick up. Please. PLEASE!!"
A family friend subsequently picked her up.
The next morning, all the girls were taken to a hospital where they tested positive for benzodiazepine.
In June, Meyden pleaded guilty to three counts of causing another to ingest a controlled substance, according to KPTV-TV. He was sentenced to two years in prison.
