Riverbank toddler dies of fentanyl overdose. Mother and boyfriend accused of murder
An 1-year-old Riverbank boy died of a fentanyl overdose and his mother and her boyfriend have been arrested on suspicion of his murder, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office.
The boy died Dec. 16 after emergency personnel were called to his home in the 5900 block of Newbrook Circle for a report that he wasn’t breathing, Sgt. Erich Layton said.
Investigators said they found drugs, including fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia at the home.
That day, detectives with the Major Crimes Unit interviewed the boy’s mother, Maryanne Cazares, 25, and her boyfriend, Tyler Jones, 31.
“Both admitted to falling asleep while the baby played on the floor and Jones also admitted that, prior to law enforcement arriving, he hid the drugs and paraphernalia that were previously accessible to the boy,” Layton said.
An autopsy was performed on the child and toxicology reports recently revealed that he had a lethal amount of fentanyl in his blood and gastric contents, Layton said. The boy’s cause of death is fentanyl overdose.
On the date of the boy’s death, his 5-year-old brother was out of state visiting family, Layton said. Detectives requested a security check on the girl by the local agency. Officers found drug paraphernalia among her belongings, Layton said, but he didn’t have details about how it got there.
An investigation was started by Child Protective Services and the girl was placed into the custody of other family members.
On Thursday, detectives asked Cazares and Jones to come to the Sheriff’s Department but only Cazares showed up. Cazares was arrested there and Jones was found by MCU investigators several hours later, riding a bicycle in Oakdale.
Cazares and Jones were booked into the Stanislaus County Jail on suspicion of murder for the boy’s death and child endangerment related to the paraphernalia found with the 5-year-old.
They have not yet been charged by the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office. Both are being held without bail.
This story was originally published January 20, 2023 at 12:10 PM.
