Moms and dads arrested soon after Bethlehem toddler died from fentanyl toxicity, authorities say (UPDATE)

A 2-yr-previous Bethlehem boy who died previous summer was killed by fentanyl toxicity, and his mothers and fathers ended up taken into custody Thursday to facial area expenses, authorities explained.

Warrants ended up issued Thursday for Nicole Ann Stauffer, 45, of Bethlehem, and Christian Robert Brewster, 25, of Friendship, New York, on expenses of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment.

Bethlehem police late Thursday afternoon stated Stauffer and Brewster had been taken into custody in New York Point out. “We are creating arrangements to have each defendants extradited to Pennsylvania,” law enforcement Capt. Nicholas Lechman said in an e mail.

Emergency staff have been identified as at 8:46 p.m July 5 for a boy uncovered not respiratory in a house in the 2000 block of Steko Boulevard in Bethlehem. CPR guidelines have been specified, but the boy had no signals of existence when unexpected emergency responders arrived, records say.

CPR and other everyday living preserving measures ended up done by responders before the boy was taken to Lehigh Valley Medical center-Muhlenberg. The toddler was pronounced useless at 9:49 p.m., authorities stated.

The Lehigh County Coroner’s Office environment identified the boy died of fentanyl toxicity and ruled the death a murder.

The mom and dad reportedly informed law enforcement that working day all 3 of them were in the bed room shared by the family members. The boy was playing and Stauffer gave him food items, which include a cupcake, law enforcement stated.

Stauffer was weary and the family members was lying in the bed, when eventually the mom slept “for a duration of time” with her son, documents say.

When Stauffer woke up, the boy appeared to however be sleeping, police reported. Following some time, the dad and mom understood the 2-12 months-outdated was unresponsive and his lips were being turning blue, according to investigators.

The pair approximated their son was very last viewed notify and behaving ordinarily about 90 minutes ahead of he was observed unresponsive, police mentioned.

Law enforcement explained in courtroom papers there were “numerous” allegations of suspected baby abuse and neglect from the pair. Stauffer allegedly made use of illicit drugs throughout her being pregnant and the boy was born in March 2020 with neonatal abstinence syndrome and opioid withdrawal, law enforcement explained.

The dad and mom unsuccessful to just take their son to comply with-up clinical appointments, documents say.

The property, procured by Stauffer in April 2022, was searched by police on July 6 and officers claimed they discovered narcotic materials and drug paraphernalia in the bedroom, including the area where by the boy was sleeping.

Investigators mentioned they uncovered an uncapped hypodermic needle with blood residue in the vicinity of the bed free supplements, Suboxone and cigarette smoking pipes with burnt residue close to the space and a container less than the mattress with a lot of glassine packets and a glassine packet in a trash can that also experienced a child’s diaper and a cupcake wrapper.

Tests by the Pennsylvania Condition Law enforcement Bureau of Forensic Companies identified fentanyl was in the hypodermic needle and glassine packets, courtroom information say. The only fentanyl identified in the household was in the corner of the bed room where the boy was found, investigators reported.

A toxicology exam uncovered fentanyl and norfentanyl in the child’s blood and his demise was attributed to fentanyl toxicity, authorities said.

“This is just 1 additional tragic example of the results medications and drug habit might have on the lives of harmless young children,” Northampton County District Legal professional Terry Houck reported in a statement Thursday. “The mom and dad will now be known as to solution for this alleged, reckless disregard for their vulnerable and dependent little one, and we will aggressively prosecute this heinous perform. Thank you to Bethlehem Town Police Department’s diligent initiatives and their dedication to this investigation.”

Once Stauffer and Brewster are arraigned, a preliminary hearing would be scheduled for a district choose to decide if there is ample proof to send out the rates towards demo in county court docket.

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Sarah Cassi might be attained at [email protected].