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JSO said the mother said she found the child unresponsive in March 2024, but the cause of death was later determined to be combined drug intoxication.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A woman was arrested on aggravated manslaughter of a child charge stemming from a March incident involving fentanyl, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
On March 21, 2024, JSO received a call for service to a local emergency room about a 2-year-old child unresponsive with the victim’s mother, Melissa Harper, saying she found the child unresponsive. An arrest report said the child also had a rash on his back and was “stiff.”
The victim was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived, police said.
The Medical Examiner’s autopsy showed the cause of death to be combined drug intoxication fentanyl and xylazine, police said. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, xylazine is a veterinary tranquilizer found in some illicit drug supplies and sometimes combined with fentanyl.
Harper, 43, was arrested Thursday, with JSO highlighting the Medical Examiner’s Office and State Attorney’s Office’s efforts.
