A 2-year-old Spanish girl died and a Puyallup infant was hospitalized after being exposed to fentanyl this weekend, according to the Pierce County Police Department.
Early Saturday, deputies and paramedics arrived at a home in Spanaway to find a 2-year-old girl dead after her father called 911.
The man said he slept with his daughter, and when he woke up at 4:20 a.m., she was not breathing. He was interviewed by detectives.
On Monday, officials with the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office told investigators that the girl had a large amount of fentanyl in her system.
Detectives returned to the home to re-interview the victim’s father and serve a search warrant.
The 33-year-old father was later arrested for investigation of first-degree manslaughter.
A second fentanyl-related incident involving a child occurred in South Sound on Sunday.
In Puyallup, deputies were called to a home where CPR was being performed on a child. When they arrived and asked what happened, they were told that the child had put a piece of tinfoil in their mouth that may have been contaminated with fentanyl.
Officials at Central Pierce Fire Center said the child may have overdosed and the child was taken to the hospital, where he was in stable condition.
The child’s 3-year-old brother was also taken to the hospital to be evaluated and was also found to have been diagnosed with fentanyl exposure.
After interviewing the 33-year-old father of the children, detectives arrested him to investigate him in a case of reckless endangerment.
The Sheriff’s Department said fentanyl addiction affects people from all walks of life. For example, the man in the Puyallup case appears to be a “new” user with a stable job and no history of drug use, according to deputies.
If you, a family member or friend is struggling with drug addiction, visit the Washington Recovery Helpline at www.waRecoveryHelpLine.org Or call 1-866-789-1511.
