July 14 (UPI) — A 9-month-old baby died after her 17-year-old Florida mom allegedly laced his bottle with fentanyl. She was arrested and told police she thought it was cocaine.
According to Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper, the teen mother changed her story several times before admitting she had put the substance in the infant’s bottle.
Leeper said at first the mother said she didn’t know what happened, then finally said she wanted to take a nap and put what she thought was cocaine in the baby’s bottle.
“Most babies are born to loving parents who take care of all of their needs, but unfortunately, some babies are born to individuals who have no business being parents,” Leeper said.
As she was being booked, she said she might be pregnant again, police said.
She’s charged with manslaughter and possession of a controlled substance.
Called to the Callahan-area home Monday to respond to a baby not breathing and with no pulse, deputies attempted to revive the baby while firefighters were en route to take him to a Jacksonville hospital.
Leeper said she consciously placed the substance in the bottle and must have known or reasonably should have known it was likely to cause death or serious injury to her baby.
According to the medical examiner’s office, the infant’s death was caused by fentanyl overdose. The baby had 10 times a fatal dose in his bloodstream.
The death is being investigated by sheriff’s deputies and the state Department of Children and Families.
