Parents and a woman were using drugs for at least two days in the presence of their 4 children, including a 19-day-old baby girl, with one of them intentionally blowing fentanyl smoke into the baby’s face to pacify her cries; arrested
According to the police, three individuals have been arrested and charged with child endangerment after allegedly exposing a 19-day-old infant and other children to fentanyl smoke. The accused, the 33-year-old father, later identified as Robert; a 32-year-old mother, later identified as Jennifer; and a 22-year-old woman, later identified as Aracely, face serious allegations involving the intentional misuse of a potent opioid to silence a newborn’s cries.
The sheriff’s office took Robert, Jennifer, and Aracely into custody on Thursday, charging each with four counts of second-degree felony child endangerment. The arrests followed a traffic stop on January 25, initiated after one of the vehicle’s occupants was spotted littering outside a hotel. The vehicle search led to the discovery of fentanyl inside, as well as in the newborn’s diaper bag, uncovering 56 fentanyl pills and drug paraphernalia associated with smoking the substance.
Following the arrests, Child Protective Services took immediate custody of the 19-day-old baby girl and three other children who were staying with the suspects in the hotel. During subsequent interviews at the sheriff’s office, disturbing details emerged. Investigators learned that the suspects had been smoking fentanyl in the presence of the children in their hotel room. Most shockingly, it was revealed that fentanyl smoke had been deliberately blown into the baby’s face to pacify her cries over several days.
The affidavit highlights the trio’s active involvement in consuming fentanyl around the children and acknowledges their awareness of the practice of blowing smoke in the infant’s face as a means to stop her from crying. Observations that the newborn was having difficulty breathing prompted authorities to send her and the other children to a hospital for evaluation. Following their arrest, Robert, Jennifer, and Aracely were booked into the county jail. Bonds have been set at $100,000 for Jennifer and Aracely, while Robert faces an additional charge of third-degree felony obstruction, raising his bond to $105,000. Details regarding legal representation or scheduled court dates for the defendants were not immediately available.
