In Los Angeles, prosecutors announced that Jestice James, who was from San Fernando Valley, was charged with murder after her three-year-old twins died due to the toxic effects of fentanyl.
James was also charged with child abuse and neglect. Josiah died on July 11, while his brother, Jestine, died two days later.
Previously, the police said the boys were either exposed to or consumed an unknown substance.
On Tuesday, the DA stated that the twins died due to drug toxicity caused by the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.
James, who is being held on a $4 million bail, was scheduled to appear before a court in Los Angeles.
If she is found guilty of all the charges, she could face a sentence of life in prison. Family members and friends of the twins embraced each other outside the courthouse.
According to the boys’ godmother, Regina Holmes, the family is trying to raise awareness about the dangerous effects of fentanyl.
Anyone who has a friend or family member who uses or is experimenting with this particular drug should know that it is deadly.
On July 11, emergency responders were called to a home in Canoga park, near Winnetka Avenue and Sherman Way. They tried to save the twins, but they died.
Josiah passed away on July 11. His brother, who was initially in critical condition, died a couple of days later.
According to Ivory McKinzie who was at the house when the paramedics arrived, she heard someone screaming after the twins were found unresponsive.
According to McKinzie, an ambulance arrived a few minutes later. The paramedics tried to revive the twins with Narcan, but they failed to save them.
The LA County District Attorney’s Office stated that the boys had reportedly been exposed to the dangerous substance known as fentanyl.
This tragic incident is part of a growing trend that shows how the opioid crisis is affecting children. In 2021, over 1,500 kids in the US died due to the effects of fentanyl.
Many of them were babies and children under four years old.
The number of deaths caused by fentanyl poisoning in children had been 30 times higher than in 2013.
According to Precios, the twins were three years old on July 9, which was two days before they died.
Unfortunately, the twins were taken too soon. According to Holmes, the boys were close friends, and she said that one of them could not do anything without the other. She also noted that their laughter would be missed.
