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Nicole Stauffer, 45, of Bethlehem, and Christian Brewster, 25, of New York, are charged with involuntary manslaughter and felony child endangerment, according to filings in Northampton County court.
Stauffer, Brewster, and their 2-year-old son were lounging in their shared bedroom on July 5, 2022, when Stauffer and the child fell asleep, LVL wrote. The mother woke up but eventually realized her son was unresponsive and that his lips had turned blue, the outlet said, citing the probable cause affidavit filed in court.
First responders rendered CPR, but the boy never woke up. He was declared dead at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg, Lehigh Valley Live reported.
The Lehigh County Coroner's Office ruled his death a homicide by fentanyl toxicity, per WFMZ. At the scene, police investigators found bare needles and glassine envelopes typically used to package opiates, the station added.
Both items later tested positive for fentanyl residue, according to police documents.
Investigators also uncovered prior allegations of abuse and neglect during their probe of the child's death, per WFMZ. Police claim in legal filings that Stauffer was addicted to drugs during her pregnancy, and that her son had opioid withdrawal when he was born in March 2020.
Neither Stauffer nor Brewster appears to be in police custody as of Thursday, Jan. 26. LVL has reported that Bethlehem police issued arrest warrants for the parents, but the department did not immediately confirm that to Daily Voice.
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