Mother arrested after child dies from fentanyl in Prince William County: police
Tiffany Nicole Stokes, 37. (PHOTO: Prince William County Police Department)
GAINESVILLE, Va. - A mother is charged in Prince William County with killing her 20-month-old child after investigators found a lethal amount of fentanyl in the child's blood.
According to Prince William County Police, Tiffany Nicole Stokes, 37, is charged with felony homicide, felony child neglect, and possession of a scheduled I or II narcotic.
Investigators say on June 23, officers responded to reports of an unconscious child at the Somerset Pointe Apartments located in the 14700 block of Soapstone Drive in Gainesville.
Once at the scene, officers say they learned from Stokes, that her and her baby were sleeping next to each other, when she woke up and found him unconscious.
The child's body was transported to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
At the time of the incident, no foul play was suspected in the child's death. However, an autopsy later revealed that the child's death was caused by a lethal amount of fentanyl.
Following the autopsy, police interviewed Stokes and found that she was in possession of an Oxycodone and Acetaminophen pill, which she did not have a prescription for.
Investigators also learned that Stokes had access to and was using unprescribed pills believed to be Percocet around the time of the child's death.
In early December, investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Stokes, but were unable to take her into custody. On Tuesday, Stokes turned herself in.
Police say a court date in the case is pending.