CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — Police have charged a Chattanooga woman with criminally negligent homicide in the death of her 1-year-old great-nephew.
Media reported that Jaquelne Escareno was booked on Saturday in the death of Demarcus Bryant, who died of an overdose of fentanyl. An autopsy report completed last month found that Bryant died on March 22 due to a 25-microgram fentanyl patch. The report listed the manner of death as homicide because the patch had been placed on the boy's back "by someone else."
Escareno was caring for the boy while his mother worked.
A police report says the boy's caretaker found him dead in a playpen and called authorities.
It wasn't immediately clear whether Escareno had an attorney.