Stockton man arrested after autopsy shows 2-year-old daughter died of fentanyl
A Stockton man is facing a potential murder charge in the death of his 2-year-old daughter due to fentanyl, authorities said.
Dominique Gray, 28, was arrested after a search warrant was served at a home Wednesday, according to the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department. Fentanyl substances and paraphernalia were found during the search, the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities said Gray admitted to bringing the fentanyl into the residence. He was arrested on suspicion of felony child endangerment and murder.
Also arrested were Desiree Krigbaum, 25, and Nicholaus Niederbrach, 20, both of Valley Springs. They are facing charges of child endangerment. The three adults were expected to appear in court Friday.
The 2-year-old girl died in April of sudden cardiac arrest, authorities said. Firefighters and sheriff’s deputies responded April 27 to the home in the 2300 block of North Marine Avenue in Stockton, finding the child unconscious. The child was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
There were no indications of physical abuse, and the girl had no history of medical problems, the sheriff’s office said. An autopsy and toxicology tests were performed.
The toxicology results were released last week, showing fentanyl in the child’s system, the sheriff’s office said.
An investigation concluded that fentanyl was brought into the home by the child’s father, who became addicted to prescription opiates following an injury.
Gray has two other children who are in the care of family, and also has a 5-month-old child who was taken into custody by Child Protective Services.
Fentanyl is a potent drug causing overdoses across the United States. San Joaquin County had 48 confirmed fatal overdoses due to fentanyl last year. More than half of the overdoses killed younger people between the ages of 14 and 35, the sheriff’s office said.
Fentanyl is often mixed into counterfeit pills looking like prescription drugs such as oxycontin and Percocet. Illegal drugs including heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine may also be laced with fentanyl.
