BREAKING NEWS: A Santa Rosa mother and grandmother have been arrested after an 11-month-old baby girl was poisoned with fentanyl. Authorities confirmed the shocking incident occurred in the grandmother’s apartment on October 22, 2023, when the baby was exposed to the deadly substance.
According to the Santa Rosa Police Department, the baby girl, identified as Winter, was found in her grandmother’s apartment on Range Avenue. The exposure happened around 7 p.m. as the mother, Shaylynne Watson, aged 35, and her four children were present. Police report that while the older children were in another room with their grandmother, Beverly Hansel, aged 54, Winter was left on the floor nearby.
Watson reportedly noticed her daughter had picked up a small, white substance, and feared it was fentanyl. After alerting Hansel, the grandmother administered Narcan to counteract a potential overdose. Disturbingly, neither woman called 911 for immediate medical assistance.
After monitoring Winter for symptoms, Watson left the apartment with all four of her children. It wasn’t until approximately five hours later, after midnight, that she took Winter to a local hospital for evaluation. A preliminary examination confirmed that the baby had indeed been exposed to fentanyl, prompting police intervention.
The Santa Rosa Police Department received a call about the situation at 3:40 a.m. on October 23. Detectives executed a search warrant at Hansel’s apartment later that day, uncovering numerous narcotics paraphernalia, methamphetamine, and black tar heroin. Many of these items were discovered in areas accessible to the children, raising serious concerns about the environment in which they were living.
Authorities concluded that both Watson and Hansel were responsible for the exposure and subsequent endangerment of the baby. In collaboration with Child Protective Services, the four children were removed from Watson’s custody.
Watson has been charged with one count of felony child endangerment, while Hansel faces charges related to child endangerment and drug possession. Both women have been booked into the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility.
The dangers of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, cannot be overstated. Police officials warn that even a minute amount can be deadly, especially for children whose developing systems make them particularly vulnerable.
This developing situation serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for awareness about the dangers of drug exposure, particularly in homes with children. Authorities are continuing their investigation as the community grapples with the horrifying implications of this incident.
Stay tuned for further updates as this story unfolds.