The mother of 3-year-old twin boys who died last week after authorities say they were exposed to drugs laced with fentanyl has been charged with murder and child abuse.
“These innocent children reportedly came into contact with fentanyl, an opioid that has wreaked havoc on our communities,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement announcing the charges Tuesday. “The lethal potential of fentanyl cannot be overstated, and it is our collective responsibility to protect those who cannot protect themselves. My office is committed to holding anyone accountable who exposes vulnerable children to such dangerous substances.”
Jestice James, 22, is charged with two counts of murder and two counts of child abuse in the deaths of her sons, Josiah and Jestine, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney. She is being held in jail on $4 million bail.
The boys were found unresponsive in their Canoga Park home on Thursday and rushed to the hospital, where Josiah was pronounced dead. Jestine arrived in critical condition and died two days later.
Prosecutors did not release details about what linked the mother to the deadly drugs or the children's access to them. However, Los Angeles police said last week that no other residents of the family home were under investigation.
“This tragedy is part of a disturbing trend in which infants and young children are increasingly becoming victims of the opioid crisis,” Gascón said.
Officials and doctors across the state have recently reported a rise in the number of young children who have died from fentanyl, an extremely potent and addictive synthetic opioid that is considered the deadliest drug in Los Angeles.
Earlier this year, a 2-year-old boy in Lancaster died after being exposed to the drug during a visit to his mother that had been approved by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.
