PHOENIX — A Valley mother is facing felony child abuse charges after her baby boy reportedly overdosed on fentanyl Monday night.
According to court paperwork, Phoenix police and firefighters received a 911 call reporting a 9-month-old child that was not breathing.
When crews arrived on scene, the caller told officers the child was put in his crib and started to change colors and spit something out of his mouth. The caller said the child was going in and out of consciousness and was spitting up white mucus.
Officers on scene reported they found blue oval pills inside the boy's crib. Firefighters transported the child to the hospital where doctors found more blue pills inside the boy's mouth.
The boy's mother, Priscilla Caldera, told police that no one in her house uses blue pills or fentanyl to her knowledge. She told officers that the previous day, she gave a ride to a friend who left a bag of blue pills in her car.
Caldera told officers she brought the baggy into the child's bedroom and placed it on the diaper changing table attached to the boy's crib. She said she did not know how the pills got from the changing table to the crib, but reportedly admitted she should not have left the pills within reach of the victim or his twin brother.
The boy's grandmother told police she placed the boy and his brother in their crib and left the room for a few minutes before returning to check on the twins. She said when she returned the boy was foaming at the mouth and not breathing. She said she and her boyfriend started CPR until the fire department arrived.
Police say the 9-month-old was given NARCAN and is in stable condition at this time. Police say the boy was also found to have a skull fracture during his medical exam.
Officials say Caldera was arrested and is facing negligent child abuse charges.
