A 2-year-old girl died of a fentanyl overdose this past weekend, and another child was hospitalized for fentanyl exposure in a separate incident, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department reported Tuesday.
According to a news release, on Saturday deputies responded to a call at 4:22 a.m. from a Spanaway father who reported that his 2-year-old daughter was dead. The father said he fell asleep with his daughter and woke up at around 4:20 a.m. to her not breathing. When deputies and paramedics arrived, the girl was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Monday, the medical examiner advised detectives that the girl had significant amounts of fentanyl found in her system. A search warrant was served at the residence and the father was interviewed, the release said.
The 33-year-old father was arrested on suspicion of first-degree manslaughter and booked into Pierce County Jail.
In a second incident, on Sunday at about 7:40 a.m., deputies were dispatched to a call regarding CPR in progress for an infant in Puyallup. The child had put a piece of foil in their mouth that possibly had fentanyl on it, deputies were told. Central Pierce Fire & Rescue reported it as a possible overdose, the release said.
When the child was transported to the hospital in stable condition, their 3-year-old brother was also taken to the hospital and tested positive for fentanyl exposure, the release said.
Their 33-year-old father was arrested on suspicion of reckless endangerment. The Sheriff's Department said in the news release that the father appeared to have a stable job with no history of drugs. He was allegedly a "new user," the release said.
"We know the danger and harm drugs can cause our communities and we continue to see its involvement in not just overdose deaths, but usage by criminals who are committing serious felonies, our homeless community who are already suffering and even in our youth," the release said.
The release said the Washington Recovery Help Line is a resource people and families can use for those suffering from addiction. The sheriff's department website also has a video on drug identification.
