Parents and Grandmother Charged in Bensalem Child's Death; Fentanyl Found in Baby Boy's Blood

fentanyl Child Endangerment parents and grandmother charged Bensalem Child's Death

By Joel Brussels , Parent Herald Mar 18, 01:32 pm

Photo: (Photo : Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Bensalem police announced on Thursday, March 17, that a grandmother, father, and mother, are facing charges in connection with the death of a 4-month-old baby, who was found unresponsive at a Pennsylvania home last January.

According to 6ABC, Bensalem police have charged grandmother and foster mother Donna Westmoreland with child endangerment while parents Felicity Westmoreland and Daniel Howarth were charged with involuntary manslaughter in the 4-month-old's death. The baby's mother and father were also charged with child endangerment and other drug crimes, including possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Bensalem police officers were dispatched to a home on Oak Avenue in Trevose on January 7 after a report was sent of a baby having cardiac arrest. According to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office and the police, the 4-month-old child was transported to a Langhorne hospital after he was found unresponsive in the living room of their home. The kid was later pronounced dead at St. Mary's hospital.

Fentanyl found in 4-month-old boy's blood

Detectives who were investigating the case said that the parents were at home when the child died, with drug baggies and syringes found inside the residence. Those items tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl.

According to officials, the home was in total disarray with trash, old food, and clothes all over the place. WSAZ reported that an autopsy later revealed that the baby had fentanyl in his blood, and the cause of his untimely death was determined to be from the dangerous and harmful effects of the powerful opioid.

Donna Westmoreland, the child's grandmother, was previously appointed as the baby's foster mother and was ordered by the court to not leave him unsupervised with his parents. Apparently, Bucks County Juvenile Dependency Court prohibited the grandmother from leaving the baby alone with his parents, according to the police.

Foster mother leaves child unsupervised with his parents

Authorities who investigated the incident said that Westmoreland admitted to leaving the 4-month-old child with his parents on the day the baby died. Bensalem Public Safety Director William McVey told the Bucks County Courier Times that Donna Westmoreland was in the said home at the time of the incident, but left the baby unsupervised in the room with Howarth and her daughter. McVey said the victim's parents were staying at the home temporarily.

The grandmother's decision to leave the child with his parents proved to be costly with the baby apparently suffering fentanyl poisoning. She was arrested by Bensalem police with her bail set at $150,000.

Felicity Westmoreland was also arrested by the police and was placed in the Bucks County Correctional Facility. It is highly unlikely that she will be out soon with her bail set at $10 million. The other suspect, Howarth, has not yet been arrested as of Thursday afternoon. A warrant has been issued for his arrest with police still looking for his whereabouts.