A 15-month-old child died after being exposed to fentanyl residue on burnt foil in Espanola, New Mexico.
On Monday, 26-year-old Ariana Vigil was arrested and charged with one count of Child Abuse Resulting in Death and one count of Possession of a Controlled Substance after her child overdosed on the powerful opioid on April 1.
“Agents learned Vigil placed the child on the floor, where the exposure occurred, while she cleaned off the bed. Vigil told agents she then rinsed the child’s mouth, believing the child had placed the drug paraphernalia in their mouth,” New Mexico State Police explained in a statement.
“Vigil further stated she observed the child for 10 minutes before the child became unresponsive. The child was taken to the hospital and was later pronounced deceased.”
An 18-month-old boy ingested the drug at his home but survived after being administered Narcan.
The child’s parents, Caitlyn Sanchez and Matthew Padilla, are now facing child abuse charges.
The fentanyl crisis is reaching catastrophic proportions in New Mexico.
In the city of Las Cruces alone, fentanyl seizures exploded to more than 22,600 pills in 2021 – and continued rising: roughly 70,000 pills were seized in 2022 and nearly 86,000 in 2023.