(COVENTRY, R.I.) — An 8-month-old girl who died last week had the potent opioid fentanyl in her system and her parents have been charged with felony neglect, according to police.
Authorities received a 911 call around 6 a.m. Nov. 19 about an unresponsive infant, Coventry Police said Wednesday. They took the child to an area hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The child’s cause of death is undetermined, according to police.
An investigation produced evidence of criminal neglect by the parents, police said. They did not give further details.
A police affidavit states the child had fentanyl, a powerful synthetic drug, in her system, WPRI-TV reports.
Steven Gilchrist and Jocelyn Belmore, both 32, were arrested Tuesday and charged with one felony count each of cruelty to or neglect of a child.
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The parents were scheduled to be arraigned at the Kent County courthouse Wednesday afternoon.
It was not immediately clear whether Gilchrist or Belmore was represented by a lawyer.
Kerri White, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Children, Youth and Families, said Gilchrist was known to them through an unrelated case having to do with a family member.
She said the family is the subject of an active DCYF investigation, and that the agency learned Wednesday of additional information in support of a finding of child maltreatment. White said she couldn’t provide additional information because of confidentiality laws.