Father Charged After 4-Year-Old Son Dies From Fentanyl Exposure While Under His Care

A Pennsylvania man was charged after his 4-year-old son, who came over to spend a day with him, died of exposure to fentanyl while under his care, police said Tuesday.

Avant Redding, from Braddock, died in May after he accidentally ingested fentanyl while he was at his father Van Marcus Redding's residence in Carnegie, an investigation revealed.

The 36-year-old picked up his son from the boy's mother's residence to take him to a family birthday party at a skate park on May 7. After the party, the father and son went shopping and picked up a meal from Mc Donalds, police said in the criminal complaint. After finishing the meal, the boy began to throw up and had difficulty walking. Though he was rushed to an emergency room of a hospital, he did not survive, WTAE reported.

Police investigated Van's apartment and found a bag of white powder, which was later identified as fentanyl.

"The father had fentanyl in the residence. The child had contact with the fentanyl and is now dead. It's just an example of the dangers of this horribly powerful drug that’s taken the lives of so many people," said Allegheny County Police Assistant Superintendent Victor Joseph, CBS Local reported.

Though the child died two months back, the police did not charge Van until now as they were awaiting the toxicology report to determine the exact cause of the death. Van now faces charges of involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of children and possession with intent to deliver.

Police also found out that Van had got into a car accident while rushing his son to the hospital.

He is scheduled to appear in court Friday for a preliminary hearing. He is currently being held in the Allegheny County Jail.

In May, a man in Ohio was sentenced to five years in prison after his 18-month-old son died of a fentanyl overdose. The child, who accidentally ingested the drug, was found unresponsive at a home in Cincinnati on Oct.15, 2019. Police arrested the toddler's father, Charles Foggie, on charges of manslaughter and child endangerment.