Two people have been charged with murder for the fentanyl death of a toddler in March in Leavenworth, Kansas.
“The Leavenworth Police Department arrested 40-year-old Tara Huerta on Friday. The Kansas City Police Department arrested Kenneth Hedgecock, 34, days later,” WTVM reported.
The arrests occurred after a 3-year-old was found unresponsive in Huerta and Hedgecock’s apartment in March and was transported to a hospital. The child ultimately did not survive, and a May 29 autopsy report revealed the toddler died of acute fentanyl toxicity.
Briana Davis, the mother of “E-lah Brown Jr., known by loved ones as EJ,” told police her son fell asleep in her lap while she was receiving a face tattoo in Huerta’s apartment, and she left him to stay overnight with the couple.
The Kansas City Star reported:
EJ fell asleep in her lap while Davis was getting face tattoos at the neighbor’s home, she said. Davis said her son loved to be with their neighbor, whom he called ‘Auntie,’ and he stayed the night and next day with her. Davis left the neighbor’s home at 5 a.m. Tuesday and said she slept for most of the day.
Around 10 p.m. Tuesday, she called her neighbor, and her neighbor’s boyfriend, who also lived with her, answered the phone, stating her son was doing well and was sleeping.
The next contact she received was her neighbor at the door hours later, saying EJ was not breathing.
Methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl were found in the apartment, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
Huerta is charged with first-degree murder, as well as several drug-related charges. She was booked into the Leavenworth County Jail on $500,000 bond, per the report.
Hedgecock was charged with first-degree murder, as well as aggravated endangering of a child, and unlawful possession of controlled substance and unlawful possession of certain drug precursors and drug paraphernalia. He was being held in the Clay County Jail.
