EVERETT, Wash. — A 1-year-old girl died on Sunday, possibly from fentanyl exposure inside an Everett hotel room.
Snohomish County deputies were called to Swedish Hospital in Mill Creek at 5:30 p.m. after hospital staff reported that the unresponsive child was brought in by her mother.
The 1-year-old was transferred to Seattle Children’s Hospital, where she later died.
Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit found the child had been staying at an Everett hotel with her 37-year-old mother on Saturday, May 6, and Sunday, May 7. They believe someone else was in the room Sunday when things took a turn for the worst.
According to Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, Courtney O’Keefe, the initial investigation led detectives to believe that someone had been smoking fentanyl in the room before the child became unresponsive.
“At this time detectives do believe that the child’s death may be related to fentanyl exposure,” said O’Keefe. “Charges will not be referred on the mother from our investigation until we have toxicology reports back and the investigation is complete.”
After serving a search warrant, detectives collected evidence from the hotel room.
The child’s mother was arrested on Sunday for a domestic violence warrant for an unrelated charge out of the Edmonds Police Department.
She was transported and booked into the Snohomish County Jail. O’Keefe believes the mother has since been released.
Positive identification of the decedent, as well as cause and manner of death, will come from the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office.
“Of course with the increase in fentanyl throughout Snohomish County,” said O’Keefe. “That raises great concern for the amount of children being exposed as well.”
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