A 40-year-old Northern California woman was sentenced on Sept. 12 to 10 years in state prison for the fentanyl overdose death of her infant boy, authorities said.
Christy Ann Scarbrough of Chico, a city 85 miles north of Sacramento, received the maximum sentence under California law from Judge Kristen Lucena after pleading no contest to causing the death of her son on his first birthday, according to a press release from Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey.
“While the sentence today is not enough because an infant lost his life, it is the maximum allowed by California law and serves as a reminder of the consequences of fentanyl use,” Ramsey said in the release.
The district attorney said Scarbrough found her son face down and unresponsive in his crib on the evening of July 6, 2023. The boy appeared blue, and she immediately took him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Chico Police found a straw in the baby’s crib that tested positive for fentanyl. A straw is commonly used to ingest fentanyl, a potent opioid.
An investigation by police and the district attorney’s office, including an autopsy, revealed an extremely high level of fentanyl in the infant’s stomach acid, indicating the baby had ingested the drug, the release said.
Ramsey said that Scarbrough had broken the fundamental trust between a parent and a child of such a young age.
“Scarbrough admitted she knew the dangers of fentanyl, and yet not only had it in her home with her small children, but she also had it in her child’s crib where he should have been safe,” Ramsey said in the release.
According to Ramsey, Scarbrough is an admitted fentanyl user.
Unsuspecting Victims
As fentanyl becomes a growing issue in California and across the nation, more cases of child deaths from accidental overdose are emerging.While most fentanyl overdose deaths occur in adults—around 6,680 cases in 2023—data shows an increasing number of children under 5 are either dying from overdoses or arriving in emergency rooms testing positive for the drug.
In 2023, there were 14 fentanyl-related overdose deaths among children under 5, up from 10 in 2022 and 6 in 2021, according to data from the California Department of Public Health.
On July 16, 22-year-old Jestice James of Los Angeles was charged in connection with the death of her 3-year-old twin sons. Prosecutors said the boys were found unresponsive after apparently coming into contact with fentanyl.
Earlier that week, on July 15, a mother and father were arrested after their 1-year-old daughter was exposed to fentanyl, leading to her hospitalization, according to the Victor Valley Sheriff’s Department.
In June, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined that fentanyl exposure was the cause of death for a 17-month-old boy from Lancaster. The child, who was in foster care, came into contact with the drug during a supervised visit with his mother, approved by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.
