A 33-year-old mother has been arrested following the 2022 death of her one-year-old son, who Winnipeg police say died of high levels of fentanyl and carfentanyl intoxication.
Romeo Stewart died suddenly in hospital in late December 2022. Investigators say he had been exposed to the drugs when he was at his mother’s home, according to a Saturday news release from police.
The mother called 911 after the child became unresponsive at her Sherbrook Street home in the early hours of Dec. 29, police said. A family member gave the infant emergency medical care until the ambulance arrived, and Winnipeg fire-paramedics took him to hospital in critical condition once they got there.
Police said autopsy and toxicology reports show that the child died from fentanyl and carfentanyl, which is 100 times stronger than fentanyl.
The Manitoba Prosecution Service authorized charging the mother with failing to provide the necessaries of life.
On Friday, the mother — whom police did not name — went to police headquarters, where she was arrested and later released.
A police spokesperson said waiting for the autopsy and toxicology reports and consulting with the prosecution service contributed to the length of the investigation.