18-months-old Girl Died from Fentanyl Exposure in San Jose, Suppliers also Charged with Parents for Homicide

San Jose, CA: Two fentanyl suppliers are now facing charges after allegedly providing drugs to a couple involved in the tragic death of their 18-month-old daughter. The child lost her life due to fentanyl poisoning in a home that was filled with drugs in California.
The suppliers are the parents’ roommate and his girlfriend.
According to court documents, Phil Ortega, 31, and his girlfriend, Paige Vitale, 32, have been charged with murder in connection with the tragic death of baby Winter Rayo. The suspects are now with Winter’s parents, Derek Rayo, 27, and Kelly Richardson, 28, who were charged in November.
According to a report, Ortega and Vitale are accused of enabling the use of narcotics by themselves and two others, resulting in the baby being exposed to dangerous levels of drugs.
Court documents reveal that suspect Ortega had a consistent supply of fentanyl for individuals Derek Rayo and Kelly Richardson from November 2022 until the unfortunate death of Victim W. Doe.
According to court documents, Ortega, who had a history of drug-related crimes dating back to 2015, left drugs in the house and sold them to Richardson despite knowing that she was behaving recklessly around her daughter.
According to court documents, Vitale expressed concern about the parenting approach of Derek Rayo and Richardson, describing it as “reckless.”
According to court documents, she reportedly raised concerns about certain practices, such as smoking narcotics near the baby named W. Doe or not washing hands after using narcotics.
Authorities alleged that Ortega and Vitale took on the responsibility of caring for the baby, despite the presence of narcotic activities in their house.
The case was revealed on August 12th. Authorities said that Derek Rayo made an urgent call to 911 at 11:07 p.m., reporting that his daughter was unconscious and not breathing on his bed. According to court documents, he informed dispatch that he was unaware of the events that transpired. He mentioned that he and Richardson were the only ones present in the residence with their daughter.
Emergency responders in San Jose swiftly arrived at a residence located about 50 miles south of San Francisco. Upon their arrival, they discovered a baby peacefully resting on a bed, gently covered with a rug. Tragically, she was pronounced deceased just 10 minutes after her father made the distressing call to emergency services. However, she had passed away several hours ago and displayed clear indications of rigor mortis. According to court documents, she exhibited dilated pupils and blue lips.
According to reports, Richardson reportedly informed authorities that she had entrusted her daughter to Derek Rayo’s care while their roommates were present, before heading to work. According to reports, she claimed to have put her daughter to bed around 1 to 2 a.m. before going to sleep. According to court documents, she allegedly stated that she didn’t notice anything wrong with her daughter when she woke up at 10:30 a.m. before falling back to sleep.
During the investigation at the residence, authorities discovered a substance resembling a white chunky powder on the nightstand, which was later confirmed to be fentanyl. Additionally, they found a scraping tool with residue on a desk, another scraping tool with residue on a rug beneath Winter’s body, and various items associated with narcotics use, as stated in the official report.
The baby had a dangerously high fentanyl blood concentration of 74 ng/ml. The coroner’s office has determined that a blood concentration of 3 ng/ml of fentanyl can be potentially lethal as per Law and Crime.
Authorities have reported that text and social media messages, along with photos and videos, have revealed the couple engaging in reckless drug use while in the presence of the victim or close to her. Additionally, drugs and drug-related items were found within reach of the baby in their residence.