6-week-old Baby Dead after Fentanyl Overdose in Louisiana; Community in Disbelief after Mom Arrested by Authorities
A woman from Houma has been taken into custody following the tragic death of her 6-week-old baby due to a fentanyl overdose, as reported by the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Meghan Ashleigh Cortez, 30, was apprehended on June 3 at her residence on St. Louis Street. She is currently facing charges of negligent homicide in connection with an incident that took place earlier this year.
In the early hours of February 5, sheriff’s deputies were called to Cortez’s residence following reports of an infant who was unresponsive.
Deputies discovered the infant in an unresponsive state and promptly initiated CPR, according to the sheriff’s office.
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Medical personnel responded to the incident and provided immediate medical attention to the infant. The baby was then transported to a nearby hospital, but unfortunately, did not survive.
It was determined by authorities that Cortez was the mother of the infant. They also found out that she, the victim, another child, and a family member were present in the home during the incident.
According to Cortez, she and her children were peacefully asleep when she suddenly woke up to find her infant unresponsive by her side. Cortez quickly requested help and began administering CPR to the child.
Records indicate that narcotics were discovered throughout the residence by authorities. Cortez confessed to using heroin shortly before her baby’s tragic passing.
Authorities from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office concluded that the child’s cause of death was a fentanyl overdose.
Cortez has been incarcerated at the Terrebonne Parish Criminal jail. Her bond was set at $500,000 by the judges.
Following a string of tragic child overdoses in Louisiana, including a heartbreaking incident in March where a 2-year-old lost their life to a fentanyl overdose in Baton Rouge, an arrest has been made.
Just days prior to Cortez’s arrest, two teenagers from Houma were apprehended and charged with second-degree murder. Their actions resulted in severe injuries to an infant’s head and ribs, putting the child’s life at risk.
