Florida Parents Face Charges After Toddler Dies From Fentanyl Overdose

By Jess Smith First Posted: Nov 04, 2021 01:27 AM EDT

The parents of a 2-year-old girl in North Florida are now facing several charges after the child died from a fentanyl overdose just a few months ago.

According to WFLA, deputies of the Marion County Sheriff's Office were called to the residence of Joseph Tierney, 36, and Jalynn Davis, 36, in Umatilla on June 13 and found the girl unresponsive.

Florida Girl Dies From Fentanyl Overdose

The child, Miya Tierney, was later pronounced dead in a hospital. Based on the reports, the Florida parents were charged for aggravated manslaughter of a child on Tuesday.

The couple initially told investigators that they put their daughter to bed and found her lifeless about 30 minutes later.

However, based on the examination conducted by the Marion County medical examiner, they have determined that the girl died of fentanyl toxicity.

Detectives investigating the case discovered Davis is a drug dealer selling fentanyl, while Tierney is an active drug user.

Since the girl's parents brought drugs into the home and failed to protect the child, authorities determined that Davis and Tierney were responsible for the girl's death.

Tierney was already in Marion County Jail with no bond set for aggravated assault and witness tampering charges when the new arrest warrant was filed.

On the other hand, Davis was in Lake County Jail for separate charges of murder in a death caused by the unlawful distribution of fentanyl, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia. A new warrant will be issued once she returns to Marion County.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said the senseless death of the innocent child was the "ultimate tragedy." Woods added that it should serve as a reminder of why authorities must continue in their fight to keep opiates out of their communities.

The Marion County sheriff promised that if individuals were using drugs or selling drugs, and if somebody suffered an overdose or dies as a result, he and his deputies would do everything they could to hold them "accountable to the fullest extent of the law."

Another 2-Year-Old Child Dies From Fentanyl Toxicity

In August, a mother from Titusville in Florida has also been charged with her son's death. Based on the report of WESH, 29-year-old Jeanetta Lynette Blow was charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and tampering with or fabricating evidence after the death of her 2-year-old son.

The Titusville police's attention was called by the Parish Medical Center in June 2020 after the suspicious death of a child.

The affidavit showed that the Florida mom brought her 2-year-old son to the emergency room, where the staff noted that the victim was already unresponsive, not breathing, and had no pulse.

The medical staff attending the victim was not able to save the boy's life. The staff noted that the body temperature of the 2-year-old boy was at 92 degrees upon arrival.

Blow told investigators that she woke up and found that the boy was unresponsive; that's why she drove him to the hospital. She noted that the day before, she took the boy to the park, where he "picked up dirt, licked it, and said 'ew' before she knocked it out of his hands."

However, the results of the investigation conducted by the police did not align with the mom's statement. According to an affidavit, officers found a purple velvet bag containing small plastic baggies usually used to package heroin after a search inside Blow's apartment.

Officers also found clear gloves typically used when handling heroin. Police said Blow's boyfriend was also known to traffic drugs.

After an autopsy was conducted, authorities found that the 2-year-old's cause of death was fentanyl toxicity, which prompted authorities to file charges against the Florida mom.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: 'The Ultimate Tragedy': Parents Face Charges in 2-Year-Old Daughter's Fentanyl Overdose, Death - From WESH 2 News