Police allege that a New Jersey mother overdosing on drugs apparently rolled onto and suffocated her young child.
The Lumberton Township police department said the 13-month-old boy’s grandmother called 911 shortly after 8:30 p.m. Saturday, and both mother and child were found unresponsive in the mother’s bed.
Police said they were able to revive the woman with Narcan, but first responders performing CPR on the boy were unable to revive him.
Authorities said it appeared the mother, identified by KYW as Antoinette King, 33, had rolled over onto the boy, Jeremiah King, and suffocated him. She was charged with child endangerment and taken to Burlington County jail.
Jeremiah’s babysitter told KYW that he was a lovable baby who had just learned to walk.
“I just actually babysat him on Friday for about an hour or so, and the next day he’s gone,” Chandra Williams said.
Neighbors said it was Jeremiah’s grandmother who found the toddler and his mother unresponsive.
“The grandmother is just purely out of it,” Williams said. “I know she is. I know she has to be.”
Neighbor Lynn Ingram said Jeremiah was a tough child who recovered after being born premature.
“So he went through all the prematurity and now he’s not here anymore,” she said.
“I just don’t know what else to say, it’s a terrible, terrible, terrible tragedy,” Williams said.
