Enfield man charged after fentanyl death of 1-year-old child
By Evan Sobol, Christian Colón, Marcy Jones and Rob Polansky
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ENFIELD, Connecticut (WFSB) — An Enfield man was charged after his child died from fentanyl last year.
Police said officers responded to a home on North Maple Street in Enfield on Nov. 22, 2021 to investigate the untimely death of the 1-year-old child.
“Upon arrival CPR was initiated the one year old and that child, that boy, was transported to Baystate Hospital for medical care,” said Chief Alaric Fox, Enfield Police Department.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later ruled the child’s cause of death as “acute fentanyl intoxication,” police said.
Police said the child was somehow able to ingest the deadly drug.
“Under the circumstances we believe them to be, this is characterized as an accidental death, a negligent death, in terms of the legal mindset,” Fox said.
The child ingested enough of the deadly drug that the medical examiner said the victim would only be able to live for several minutes.
Experts said the drug is deadly no matter the age.
“What’s getting out on the street is illicit fentanyl and it’s made in a laboratory. This kind of fentanyl is anywhere from 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin,” said John Lally, executive director of Today I Matter, inc.
In Enfield, fentanyl has killed several people. Officials said they get reports of three or four Narcan saves per week. Narcan reverses the effects of an overdose.
“In the calendar year 2021 we have had 10 overdose drug deaths, per the Office of the Chief Medical Examiners, and 7 of them involved fentanyl,” said Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, Town Manager.
The town said people need to be educated on the drug which is why they are hosting a workshop on Dec. 6.
“What’s getting out on the street is illicit fentanyl and it’s made in a laboratory. This kind of fentanyl is anywhere from 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin,” said John Lally, executive director of Today I Matter, inc.
In Enfield, fentanyl has killed several people. Officials said they get reports of three or four Narcan saves per week. Narcan reverses the effects of an overdose.
“In the calendar year 2021 we have had 10 overdose drug deaths, per the Office of the Chief Medical Examiners, and 7 of them involved fentanyl,” said Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, Town Manager.
The town said people need to be educated on the drug which is why they are hosting a workshop on Dec. 6.
The Enfield Town Manager released a statement on the incident:
As a community, we are very attuned to the impact of fentanyl. This is a tragic example of what can happen with substance misuse in a domestic situation and we are going to continue to create awareness and pathways for recovery in Enfield, while also vigorously pursuing prosecution of those who are in possession or selling illegal substances.
Ellen Zoppo, Enfield Town Manager
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