A 17-month-old lady has died of fentanyl poisoning in Riverside County — including one other case to a rising roster of fatalities that appears to know no boundary on the age or circumstance of the victims.
The infant’s demise stays below investigation, and authorities are releasing few particulars, however on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., sheriff’s deputies from the Norco station responded to a report of a kid needing medical support within the 100 block of eighth Avenue.
Deputies arrived to search out the kid not respiration.
“Life saving measures had been performed by deputies and Cal-Hearth however the juvenile was unresponsive and was pronounced deceased,” the Riverside County Sheriff’s Division introduced in a information launch.
“The demise of any baby is heartbreaking, particularly one that might have been prevented,” stated Sgt. Deirdre Vickers, public info officer for the Sheriff’s Division. “It’s unlucky that the rise of fentanyl use in our communities is now resulting in the demise of harmless youngsters.”
In 2021, there have been 1,557 pediatric deaths from fentanyl, together with 40 infants and 93 youngsters ages 1 to 4, in line with a brand new research.
Investigators rapidly concluded that fentanyl performed a task within the demise of the kid, whose identify has not been launched. Officers arrested the kid’s mom, Jennifer Johanna Allen, 32, inside an hour of the decision for assist, in line with jail data.
No particulars have been launched relating to why foul play or legal negligence was suspected.
Allen was charged with one depend of homicide and one felony depend of kid endangerment, which may embody willfully harming a toddler or exposing a toddler to hurt.
Jennifer Johanna Allen was arrested in reference to the fentanyl demise of her 17-month-old daughter.
(Riverside County Sheriff’s Division)
The breadth of tales underlying fentanyl-linked deaths is huge, together with these of teenagers and kids. Some youths had been making an attempt to hurt themselves; some had been simply making an attempt to get excessive and by no means realized that their drug of selection was spiked with lethal fentanyl. Others had merely purchased what they thought was a secure treatment on-line. And, in fact, a child will put virtually something in its mouth.
Authorized opioids additionally pose a lethal danger. Researchers say secure storage and disposal of prescription treatment is required to assist preserve youngsters from hurt.
Higher emphasis must be placed on hurt discount, consultants say, together with growing entry to the overdose reversal drug naloxone, often known as Narcan, in houses.
The L.A. faculty system is amongst these that’s stocking Narcan at faculties and with its cops — within the wake of the overdose demise of a scholar at Bernstein Excessive in September. The district additionally permits college students to hold Narcan with parental permission. Narcan has been administered 26 instances at faculties within the months for the reason that Bernstein demise.
Bail was set at $1 million on every depend for Allen, who stays in custody at Robert Presley Detention Middle in Riverside, in line with official data.
