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Couple charged with murder in toddler's overdose death
This is the first time District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has filed murder charges in connection to a fatal fentanyl overdose.
SAN FRANCISCO - A San Francisco couple faces murder charges after a 2-year-old child died from a fentanyl overdose in an apartment littered with drug paraphernalia, officials said.
Michelle Price, 38, and Steve Ramirez, 43, are charged with second-degree murder and child endangerment in their daughter's death. While they are not currently in custody following the Feb. 12 death, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said they will be remanded.
The filing marks the first time Jenkins has pursued murder charges in connection with a fatal fentanyl overdose.
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Lethal levels found
What we know:
Authorities responded to a 911 call regarding a child not breathing at an apartment on the 3800 block of 18th Street around 5:16 a.m. Medics found the toddler dead, displaying signs of rigor mortis and lividity that suggested she had been deceased for several hours.
A toxicology report later confirmed the cause of death as acute fentanyl toxicity.
"There was fentanyl found in this home that was loosely out and available to this toddler," Jenkins said. "It was clear to me that these parents were aware of its lethality and the danger of fentanyl."
'Cluttered' home
Dig deeper:
Officials described the residence as "cluttered" and unsafe, noting that drug paraphernalia and varying amounts of fentanyl were left in the open.
According to court documents, officers recovered three used cylindrical pipes, lighters, and torches. They also found a used Narcan container on the bed, white powder later confirmed to be fentanyl, and bottles of spoiled milk and stained sheets.
Jenkins said the Narcan had been administered to the child before first responders arrived. Jenkins argued this proved the parents understood the life-threatening danger the drugs posed to the child.
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Attempted flight
At the scene, Price allegedly exhibited " droopy eyes, slurred speech, and an emotionless demeanor."
Ramirez attempted to flee the scene on his bike.
Shortly after, officers detained Ramirez, though he resisted arrest, causing an injury to an officer. At the time of his arrest, police found two glass pipes with burnt residue near him and a third pipe in a bag on his bicycle.
The San Francisco Medical Examiner’s autopsy found no signs of physical trauma on the child, confirming the lethal level of fentanyl in her bloodstream was the sole cause of death.
The Source: San Francisco District Attorney's Office