A 4-year-old boy’s death in Newfield has been linked to fentanyl exposure, and a local man now faces serious charges, according to New York State Police.
Troopers arrested 31-year-old Justin M. Fenton on Sept. 8 after a grand jury indictment. He’s charged with second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and tampering with physical evidence.
The case began in June, when troopers were called to a home on South Way in Newfield for a report of an unconscious child. When they arrived, the 4-year-old wasn’t breathing and was in cardiac arrest.
The child was rushed to Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca, where he was later pronounced dead. An autopsy and toxicology report determined the cause of death was fentanyl toxicity.
State Police said their investigation showed Fenton had been using drugs at the time, and that his actions recklessly exposed the child to a lethal dose of fentanyl.
Troopers located Fenton on Sept. 8 and took him into custody. He was processed at the Ithaca barracks and then sent to Tompkins County Jail.
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