NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – A 9-month-old baby boy died last month in Florida after his teenage mother was accused of putting enough fentanyl into his bottle to kill 10 people, officials confirmed Wednesday.
Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said during a news conference, the 17-year-old mother was arrested on charges of aggravated manslaughter and possession of a controlled substance.
According to Leeper, the mother allegedly confessed to investigators that she thought the fentanyl was cocaine and put it into her baby’s bottle to put him to sleep because she was tired and wanted to take a nap.
“She put some of what she thought was cocaine in the bottle, but it was actually fentanyl. She laid him down in his crib to go to sleep, but he never woke up,” Leeper said during a news conference Wednesday.
According to Leeper, deputies responded to a residence on Deerfield Country Club Road in Callahan, which is about 20 miles north of Jacksonville.
Detectives said upon arrival, they found a baby boy unconscious on the living room floor. He was not breathing and did not have a pulse.
The baby was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced deceased, according to Leeper.
Leeper said the sheriff’s office received a report from the medical examiner that fentanyl had been found in the baby’s blood and his cause of death was determined to be a fentanyl overdose.
“I have in this pill bottle about 29 nanograms. It’s hard to see. But this right here would kill approximately ten people. Think about that. A small child. This is in his system,” Leeper said.
Officials have not released the names of the mother or her child due to Marcy’s Law.
Leeper added that while the mother was being booked into jail, she indicated she may be pregnant again.
He also urged struggling parents to reach out for help by saying there are resources available. Click here for more information.