News 12 First at 5, June 3, 2010

AUGUSTA, Ga.---A visit to see her father lands a child in the hospital, and her father behind bars. Investigators say Jeffery Hickson was drunk and forced his daughter to drink alcohol and threatened to kill her if she didn't.

Hickson was arrested around midnight Wednesday on the 2700 block of Deen Avenue, that's off Lumpkin Road in Augusta. Neighbors call the crime inexcusable.

After having her stomach pumped and nearly suffering from alcohol posioning, we're told the 9-year-old girl is doing much better. But it was a close call many neighbors just can't believe.

It's a quiet Augusta street, that saw plenty of excitement Wednesday night when a 9-year-old was taken to the hospital for possible alcohol poisoning.

"This is a child for heaven's sake," says Marion Williams, a concerned neighbor with a child of her own.

"The 9-year-old was almost incoherent she was so intoxicated. Her blood alcohol level was .165 which is twice the legal limit for DUI in the state of Georgia," says Richmond County Sheriff's Captain Scott Peebles.

The child's father, Jeffery Hickson, was arrested and faces a slew of charges. Investigators say he forced the girl to drink beer, even threatening her life if she didn't.

"She's a child, a child! She's innocent. She's playing with Barbie dolls and fingernail polish. It's awful," adds Williams.

Investigators say the child was just visiting her father and called her mother crying, begging to be picked up. They say when Hickson heard about the phone call, he drove the 9-year-old to the woods and took her out of the car. Officers say Hickson got a call, and brought the girl back.

"No idea what he was planning on doing in the woods. It's very scary. Don't really know what was going through his head," says Capt. Peebles.

"I'm shocked. That poor child. I want to hold her and hug her and tell her everything's alright and she's safe and everything's okay," adds Williams.

Investigators say this case is a first for them, and they can only hope it's the last.

"There wouldn't be a rock big enough for this person to hide under to have done that to my child," explains Williams.

"Great guy," says Capt. Peebles sarcastically. "I don't think he's going to have to worry about any custody issues for a while."

Hickson is in the Richmond County Jail awaiting a bond hearing on one of the eight charges. Investigators say his 5-year-old daughter was also found in the car, but did not appear to be injured or under the influence.

So far, officers do not have a reason why Hickson may have done this. They tell News 12 they were waiting on him to sober up before they questioned him again.