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Police in Prince William County are seeking the public’s assistance in tracking down 37-year-old Tiffany Nicole Stokes, who has no known address, who was found to be in possession of unprescribed medications that her 20-month-old son allegedly ingested, leading to his death.
Officers from the Prince William County Police Department responded shortly after 3 a.m. on June 23 to the Somerset Pointe Apartments in the 14700 block in Gainesville to investigate a report of an unconscious toddler, officials said.
Upon arrival, first responders were met by Stokes, who stated that she and her son were sleeping together when she woke up to find him unconscious. The child was transported to an area hospital, where he later was pronounced dead.
The preliminary investigation found no suspicious or unusual circumstances behind the child’s death.
According to investigators, the toddler’s body was then shipped to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) in Manassas for further analysis and an autopsy, which determined in early August that the child reportedly had a lethal amount of fentanyl in his blood which caused his death.
During a subsequent interview with Stokes, police say that she was found to be in possession of a pill that was later described to contain oxycodone and acetaminophen, which she was not prescribed.
Further investigation into the child’s death led investigators to believe the child ingested illicit fentanyl at some point between the evening of June 22 and the early morning of June 23, leading to his death.
The investigation further revealed that Stokes had access to and used unprescribed pills believed to be Percocet around the time of the victim’s death.
On Wednesday, Dec. 7, following a review of the finalized OCME report, and upon consultation with the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, investigators obtained arrest warrants for Stokes, who is now wanted for:
- Felony homicide;
- Felony child neglect;
- Possession of a Schedule I or II narcotic.
Officials noted that attempts to have Stokes turn herself in to the police have been unsuccessful as of Friday, Dec. 9.
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