A 17-year-old mother from Nassau County, Florida, has been arrested after allegedly causing the death of her 9-month-old son, Elijah, by putting Fentanyl in his bottle.
The concentration of the drug in the baby's system was found to be high enough to cause the overdose deaths of ten people.
Authorities responded to a call on June 26 about an unresponsive baby at a residence on Deerfield Country Club Road. Despite attempts to revive him using CPR, Elijah could not be saved. He was rushed to Baptist Hospital North in Jacksonville, where he was pronounced dead.
Initially, the mother claimed to have no knowledge of what had happened to her son. However, on July 10, medical examiners revealed that Elijah had 29ng of Fentanyl per ml of blood in his system, leading to his cause of death being ruled as an overdose. The mother eventually admitted to putting drugs in his bottle, stating that she had mistaken the Fentanyl for cocaine, which she had intended to use to help him sleep.
Following her confession, the 17-year-old mother has been charged with manslaughter. Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper expressed his disbelief at the mother's actions, questioning, "Who does that? What mother would do that? That's not normal, that is sick." He further emphasized that while most babies are born to loving parents who meet their needs, unfortunately, some are born to individuals who are unfit to be parents.
Elijah's father, also 17, who was not involved in his son's life, expressed shock upon learning about the mother's actions. He shared his regret at not having had the opportunity to know and raise his child, stating, "It's just really the best feeling, just to meet your first kid for the first time and hold them."
As the mother was being booked into jail, she allegedly informed deputies that she believed she was pregnant again. The investigation into this tragic incident continues, and authorities are working to ensure justice is served for the loss of young Elijah's life.
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