A 4-year-old boy from Brooklyn has reportedly died from a fentanyl overdose after coming into contact with the drug at a women's shelter.
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According to the New York Post, the boy was exposed to fentanyl at a Women in Need Inc. shelter in Flatbush. Police arrived at the shelter after the child became unresponsive in the morning at around 8 am on Tuesday. The child was reportedly in the middle of an overdose when police arrived. Emergency Services administered Narcan, which is a medicine that 'rapidly reverses' opioid overdoses. Authorities then rushed the boy to Maimonides Medical Center. Despite their best efforts, the doctors were unable to save the infant.
Per a report by AMNY, the parents were allegedly ingesting fentanyl when the father visited the Women in Need shelter. The report also explains that while Women in Need shelters are usually women-only spaces, husbands can visit during the daytime.
Police have since taken both parents into custody, and charges are pending. Authorities have not revealed how the youngster got hold of the fentanyl or any events in the shelter. On Wednesday, a spokesperson for Women in Need said, "Win is devastated by the tragic death of this innocent child who came to reside with us in one of our shelters. We are working closely with the NYPD to support their ongoing investigation. We remain committed as ever to fostering a safe and supportive environment for all families that call a Win shelter home."
Fentanyl Claims The Life Of Another Young Victim
This isn't the first time a child has come in contact with fentanyl with deadly consequences. A mother, Jacquelyn Powers, reportedly gave her 14-year-old daughter a Fentanyl pill after mistaking it for oxycodone in November. She allegedly obtained oxycodone from a previous surgery.
Unfortunately, the 14-year-old died just 10 hours after ingesting the drug. An autopsy confirmed the cause of death as a fentanyl overdose, and no traces of oxycodone were found. Powers told police that the fentanyl belonged to her mother, and she reportedly swapped it with oxycodone to protect her. If this is true, she may have forgotten about the switch, which ultimately led to her daughter's death.
