An Aliquippa mother is contending with serious charges following the tragic death of her 3-month-old baby due to cocaine toxicity. Court documents report that the mother, Rachel Dlubak, could face involuntary manslaughter amongst other charges related to the incident which took place in October of last year. WPXI revealed that police found the infant unresponsive and applied Narcan, a substance often administered during suspected overdoses, raising immediate concerns about possible drug exposure.
After being taken to the hospital, not only did authorities discover upon testing that the baby's system contained cocaine and cocaine metabolites, but also an autopsy later confirmed cocaine toxicity as the cause of death. Medic crews noticed the child had "pin-point pupils," indicative of narcotic exposure, a detail that led to the administration of Narcan. According to WPXI, a neighbor expressed disbelief at the situation, saying that if anything happened to their child, "I would lose myself."
The details surrounding the events leading up to the infant's death depict a confusing scene. Dlubak initially told police following the tragic discovery of her infant's state after purportedly putting the baby down for a nap only to find her unresponsive some 30-45 minutes later as detailed by WTAE.
Dlubak, who had undergone a drug test that returned positive for cocaine metabolites and marijuana the day before her daughter was pronounced brain dead, said she had no answer for how the child ingested cocaine or why her screen showed similar substances. It's a conspicuous situation, as suggested by a resident interviewed by WPXI, who remarked that one would expect a mother's instinct "to kind of protect her baby from harm."
Currently, Dlubak is bound by a legal process that might uncover more about the events of that October day. She stands accused of not only involuntary manslaughter but also of endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person.
