An Allentown woman whose toddler son died of fentanyl poisoning in the care of his father pleaded guilty Thursday to involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child.
Jayleen Rivas-Rodriguez, 35, faces 5 to 20 years in prison when she is sentenced in January, the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release. A charge of third-degree murder was withdrawn.
The father, 32-year-old Jorge Suarez-Santiago of Milwaukee, is charged with third-degree murder and faces a preliminary hearing next month.
According to the release, 22-month-old Johansy Suarez-Rivas was pronounced dead April 5, 2021, at St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Hospital. Tests showed he had a lethal amount of fentanyl in his blood.
Prosecutors contend Rivas-Rodriguez and Suarez-Santiago had been using heroin in the hours before their son’s death. Suarez-Santiago was alone with his son while Rivas-Rodriguez left their apartment at 106 N. 8th St. for several hours, according to a news release.
Prosecutors said Rivas-Rodriguez left their child with Suarez-Santiago despite knowing that he was visibly intoxicated and also provided him with what she believed to be heroin before leaving the apartment.
Rivas-Rodriguez found the toddler unresponsive when she came home.
“The investigation revealed Johansy was exposed to and ingested a lethal dose of fentanyl while in the care of his parents who both consciously disregarded the high risk that their reckless use and handling of illegal narcotics was likely to cause death or serious bodily injury to their child,” the release said.
The case was investigated by Allentown Police Detective Joseph Beiner and the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office and prosecuted by District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Chief Deputy District Attorney Sara A. Moyer.
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