MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A 29-year-old Miami-Dade County woman has been arrested in connection with the overdose death of her 18-month-old son, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The FDLE announced the arrest of Pearlandria Boujolly on Thursday. She is charged with one count of aggravated manslaughter of a child under 18 years old.
According to the FDLE, the investigation began Jan. 3, when Miami police and Miami Fire Rescue medics responded at approximately 3:50 a.m. to a report of an unresponsive toddler.
The child was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
An autopsy conducted by the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Department found fentanyl and a trace amount of cocaine in the child’s blood, according to the FDLE.
Investigators say drugs were left in unlocked room
FDLE investigators said narcotics had been left inside an unlocked room at the home where the victim was found.
Investigators determined the toddler accidentally ingested a small amount of the drugs in that room.
According to the FDLE, Boujolly was not inside the home when the child consumed the drugs.
The investigation involved the FDLE’s South Florida State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication, or S.A.F.E., Task Force and the Miami Police Department.
“When the deadly effects of fentanyl hit our communities, especially our children, FDLE and our partners are motivated, more than ever, to use every investigative resource available to hold everyone involved accountable,” FDLE Miami Special Agent in Charge Michael Stein said.
Miami Police Chief Edwin Lopez called the victim’s death “a heartbreaking and entirely preventable tragedy.”
“This arrest sends a clear message: there is zero tolerance for negligence that puts an innocent child’s life at risk,” Lopez said.
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle also addressed the arrest, calling it “a heartbreaking day when a child loses their life inside their own home due to a parent’s recklessness and dangerous drugs left out in the open.”
Arrest made months after child’s death
The FDLE said South Florida S.A.F.E. Task Force agents and Miami police arrested Boujolly at her Miami-Dade home on Thursday.
She was then transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Detention Center.
The FDLE said additional charges may be forthcoming.
As of Friday morning, Boujolly remained held at TGK on a $55,000 bond. Online jail records show she faces a charge of fraudulent use of a credit card in a separate case.
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