A 6-month-old boy was rushed to a hospital after overdosing on fentanyl and cocaine while in the care of a babysitter in Alexandria's Taylor Run neighborhood, and the woman now faces felony child abuse and drug possession charges. The infant's mother, a single mother living in Maryland, had dropped her son off with her cousin at a condominium in the 200 block of Ellsworth Street before heading to work in Washington, D.C., on March 6.
According to the Alexandria Police Department, the mother received a video call from her cousin around 10:30 a.m. that day saying the infant's lips were turning blue, his face had no color, and he was breathing abnormally. As reported by Alexandria Now, the mother told her cousin to call 911 immediately.
Alexandria Fire Department Medic 206 responded and began life-saving measures on the infant, finding a small plastic baggie containing a white substance in the child's mouth. Medical responders administered two doses of Narcan to the baby before transporting him to Inova Fairfax Children's Hospital, which serves as Northern Virginia's dedicated pediatric hospital and regional emergency center for high-acuity pediatric patients. The infant later tested positive for both cocaine and fentanyl.
Babysitter's Account to Police
Per the same account, the suspect told police the child was having trouble breathing but she had to take her son to school anyway, so she took the infant along around 8:10 a.m. She returned home at 10 a.m. and called 911 herself, according to the report. The woman was arrested on July 16 and has since been charged with child abuse, a Class 6 felony, and possession of Schedule I or II drugs, a Class 5 felony.
The child abuse charge is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $2,500 fine, while the drug possession charge carries a penalty of one to 10 years in prison along with a separate $2,500 fine. Under Virginia Code § 18.2-371.1(B), reckless or wanton care of a child that exposes them to life-threatening danger without causing serious bodily injury is classified as that Class 6 felony. The babysitter has a four-day jury trial scheduled to begin March 29, 2027.
A Regional Pattern of Pediatric Exposure
This case fits into a troubling pattern across Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. region. In March 2023, two Northern Virginia parents were indicted on felony child neglect charges in neighboring Fairfax County after their 11-month-old infant died from ingesting a fentanyl pill left on the floor, according to WUSA9. In August 2024, Washington, D.C. police and the D.C. Medical Examiner ruled the fentanyl overdose death of a 2-month-old infant in Columbia Heights a homicide, reflecting how law enforcement agencies across the region have pursued criminal cases in severe pediatric fentanyl poisonings.
Nationwide, fentanyl-related overdose deaths among children under age 5 increased nearly sixfold between 2018 and 2021, with pediatric nurses noting that young children most frequently ingest illicit substances accidentally left within reach in domestic environments, according to the Society of Pediatric Nurses. Preliminary Virginia Department of Health data for 2024 showed that synthetic opioids, predominantly illicit fentanyl, were involved in 68% of the state's 1,548 fatal drug overdoses among residents.
Cocaine Supplies Laced With Fentanyl Locally
The combination of cocaine and fentanyl found in the infant's system echoes earlier local incidents. In September 2021, six adults were hospitalized after overdosing on fentanyl-laced cocaine in an apartment along the Alexandria-Fairfax border, highlighting prior documented cases where local cocaine supplies were contaminated with synthetic opioids, as reported by ALXnow. That same reporting noted that the City of Alexandria operates an active overdose prevention initiative distributing free Narcan nasal spray and fentanyl test strips to residents by mail upon request.
Virginia's Good Samaritan Law also shields individuals from civil liability when administering emergency care or naloxone during a suspected opioid overdose, a protection intended to encourage bystanders and caregivers to seek immediate medical help rather than hesitate. The Alexandria Police Department released a search warrant affidavit detailing the case. Hoodline previously reported on a separate case involving an Alexandria cocaine raid earlier last month.
