EVERETT, Wash. — Authorities are investigating after twin infants were exposed to fentanyl in an Everett hotel room.
The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called just after 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday for an unresponsive baby at a hotel in the 130 block of 128th Street SW. The parents told medical personnel the 11-month-old may have been exposed to cleaning chemicals they used in the hotel room, but a spokesperson said the baby was unresponsive to treatment for chemical exposure.
When emergency crews administered Narcan to the child he regained consciousness, the spokesperson said. Three children – the 11-month-old boy, his 11-month-old twin sister and an 11-year-old boy - were taken to the hospital. The SCSO said the 11-month-old infants tested presumptive positive for fentanyl at the hospital, while the 11-year-old did not test positive.
Detectives learned the 36-year-old mother and 39-year-old father were caring for the three children when the incident happened. Fentanyl and meth were found in the hotel room where they lived, according to the spokesperson.
All three children were released from the hospital and are now in the custody of Child Protective Services, according to the SCSO.
Mike Kersey, who runs Courage to Change, said he is seeing more children exposed to fentanyl every month. He said it's surprising more overdoses aren't occurring.
"... a baby picking up foil and chewing on foil they've been smoking fentanyl on," he said of one of the circumstances. "Another one had picked up something on the carpet - an 11 or 12-month old baby."
In the case in Everett, police expect to seek charges. However, the parents have not been arrested as investigators await toxicology results.