
preCharge News NEW YORK — The parents of a 4-year-old boy are being questioned following his death from possible exposure to fentanyl, the NYPD said Wednesday.
The child was found unresponsive at around 8 a.m. on Tuesday at a Women In Need homeless shelter in Brooklyn and was rushed to Maimonides Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
The cause of death has not been determined, but a toxicology report will be completed. Police are now working to learn how the boy came in contact with the drug.
“It’s a horrible situation”
preCharge News New York spoke to Felipe Rodriguez, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a former NYPD Narcotics Unit member, about the dangers of the drug.
“When we talk about deaths with an adult, forget it. We can magnify this 100 times over with a child,” Rodriguez said. “A 4-year-old child, I’m telling you, if we look at it, it had to be a minute amount of fentanyl and it was able to cause the death of this child and it’s a horrible situation.”
Shelter says it’s working closely with NYPD
The shelter did not want to go on camera, but issued following statement on the death investigation:
“WIN is devastated by the tragic death of this innocent child who came to reside with us in one of our shelters. We are working closely with the NYPD to support their ongoing investigation. We remain committed as ever to fostering a safe and supportive environment for all families that call a Win shelter home.”
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Associated Press, CNBC News, Fox News, and preCharge News contributed to this report.
This is a developing news story. More information will be provided as soon as it becomes available.