A 3-year-old boy died Thursday and his twin brother is in critical condition after being exposed to or ingesting deadly drugs, according to police sources who spoke to The Times.
Los Angeles Police Department officials on Friday declined to elaborate on the substance involved, but law enforcement sources with knowledge of the case said the children had come into contact with drugs containing fentanyl, the highly potent synthetic opioid. The sources, who were not authorized to speak publicly, said the drugs were easily accessible in parts of the Canoga Park home where the children were found unconscious Thursday morning.
Emergency crews responded shortly after 11 a.m. to the Sherman Way home, where paramedics attempted to perform life-saving measures on the children, according to a Los Angeles Police Department news release. Both children were taken to the hospital, but only one survived.
Josiah James was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to the Los Angeles County coroner. He had celebrated his third birthday two days earlier.
His brother, whose name was not revealed, remains in hospital. Police say his condition is serious.
The twins' mother, Jestice James, was arrested on suspicion of murder. James, 22, is being held on $2 million bail.
Los Angeles Police Department officials said no other residents of the home were under investigation but provided few details about the case. The overall investigation, including the cause of the boy's death, remains ongoing.
The family has a history with the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services, according to law enforcement sources. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the case.
Authorities and doctors have recently pointed to a worrying trend of increasing deaths among infants and young children from fentanyl, highlighting the lethal capabilities of this extremely potent and addictive opioid.
Earlier this year, a 2-year-old boy from Lancaster died after being exposed to fentanyl during a visit with his mother that had been approved by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. The boy had been in foster care but was visiting his mother when he came into contact with the county’s deadliest drug.
His father, who was separated from his mother, plans to sue the county's child welfare systems for failing to protect the boy.
