Florida (HRNW) A nine-month-old boy died in Nassau County in the US state of Florida after his teen mother allegedly mixed his baby formula with fentanyl, according to the police. The incident took place on June 26 when the police reached the home in Callahan, according to a New York Post report.
The little boy was found unresponsive with no pulse, the outlet further said. The baby was rushed to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed that the boy had enough fentanyl in his system to kill 10 people.
The baby’s 17-year-old mother initially told investigators that she had no clue what had happened, but her story changed in subsequent interviews over the next few weeks.
Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said that the teenage mother was arrested following the tragic incident. He also said that authorities have decided not to disclose the identities of the mother and child due to a local law, as per a report in CBS-affiliate Action News Jax.
The teen initially lied about the baby’s death, but later confessed that she was tired and wanted to take a nap on the day the baby died, the outlet further said in its report.
She admitted that she filled a baby bottle with a mixture of formula and what she thought was cocaine, but it later turned out to be fentanyl.
Sheriff Leeper expressed shock at the mother’s actions, emphasising the “abnormality and disturbed nature” of her decision.
The teen has been charged with aggravated manslaughter and possession of a controlled substance. As she was booked, the 17-year-old informed deputies that she might be pregnant again.