A mother and her boyfriend in Oakland, California, are facing child abuse charges after her five-year-old son suffered fentanyl and cocaine poisoning.
Police responded to a home on Thornhill Drive on the evening of June 21 after reports of an unresponsive child, KTVU reported. According to an Alameda County probable cause declaration, the little boy became unresponsive after having dinner with his mother, 35-year-old Sarah Rothenberg; her boyfriend, 28-year-old Mario Houston Rojas; and her father.
When first responders arrived on scene, the child was unconscious and struggling to breathe, according to the report. He was quickly transported to a nearby children’s hospital, where toxicology tests confirmed he had cocaine and fentanyl in his system, authorities said.
“Investigators said the child required Narcan before his body responded to medical treatment,” according to the report. “Shortly after the incident, the boy had to be intubated and was reported to be in critical but stable condition.”
Rothenberg told police she put her son to bed around 8 p.m. but noticed he seemed sick about 15 minutes later and told her father. She told police she saw her son vomiting and not breathing, the report states, citing court records.
Rothenberg and Rojas were arrested the next day and are facing child abuse charges.
“Rothenberg was released on her own recognizance. Her boyfriend posted bail. Both are due back in court Thursday to enter pleas,” according to the report.
The child’s grandfather is his legal guardian. He declined to comment when contacted by the local news outlet.
Investigators said they think the child could have been exposed to drugs and paraphernalia found inside the home, although they have not said how the child came in contact with the substances.
Per an arrest document cited in the report, investigators found tin foil, a broken pen with white residue, and a plastic pipe inside a trash can, and pills inside a bathroom drawer.
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