Two Washington County parents are facing felony charges after police allege their infant was exposed to fentanyl.
The situation began when UPMC Washington received a 4-month-old who had become unusually lethargic. The baby had fentanyl in his system, according to tests. The infant was administered Narcan and then sent to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh.
Investigators regarded the overdose as potentially near-fatal.
The child’s parents, Darrell Diaz and Katrina Post, were charged with endangering the welfare of a child.
According to the criminal complaint, Post informed police that she left the baby with Diaz that morning while she took another child to the bus stop.
As the inquiry progressed, officers discovered evidence of drug use inside the family’s home on Clarke Street in Chartiers Township.
According to court documents, Diaz was a frequent fentanyl user, injecting numerous bags each day. Police said they discovered text exchanges between the pair after the infant tested positive for the substance.
According to Pittsburgh CBS station KDKA, the messages indicated Diaz was concerned about going to jail. According to investigators, Diaz allegedly begged Post to inform police that she and the infant did not live at the Clarke Street address and instead stayed with her mother.
Investigators also spoke with Post’s 11-year-old child, who lives at the house. According to the complaint, the kid informed police that she overheard Diaz telling others that Post would buy narcotics for him.
Police stated both parents were aware of drug use in the residence where the infant was staying. According to investigators, exposure caused the baby’s near-fatal fentanyl overdose.
The pair is set to return to court later this month.
