10 Santa Ana students hospitalized after taking unknown substance

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- Ten students from McFadden Intermediate School in Santa Ana were rushed to a hospital after ingesting an undetermined substance, authorities said on Monday.

The Orange County Fire Authority responded to the school, located in the 2700 block of Raitt Street, shortly after noon.

They found several students showing "lethargic symptoms" due to the ingestion of some type of substance. It was not immediately known what that substance was.

Santa Ana Unified School District spokesperson Deidra Powell said students began to arrive at the nurse's office around 9 a.m. All of them were complaining about the same symptoms.

"Just not themselves, not feeling well, not able to pay attention in class, wanted to be asleep," Powell said.

Paramedics assessed the students and transported a total of 10 to an area hospital -- seven girls and three boys. All were later reported to be in stable condition and expected to be released to their families soon.

The students are a mix of sixth, seventh and eighth-graders, officials said. Their parents were immediately notified.

Powell said the unfortunate reality is that many students experiment at this age. She and the school were working to notify and inform the rest of the students and their parents about these situations.

"We want to make sure that our students know the dangers of taking something that you don't know what it is...from your classmates," she said.

Santa Ana school police and district officials were investigating where the substance came from.