(FOX40.COM) — An Oroville couple and parent were arraigned in Butte County Superior Court on Aug. 25 on charges connected to the fentanyl-caused death of their two-year-old son.
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According to the Butte County District Attorney’s Office, Chelsea Whitfield, 29, and Anthony Solansky, 28, were arraigned on a charge of felony child endangerment on the allegation that the endangerment caused the death of the child.
District Attorney Mike Ramsey said in a statement that the charges come from an incident on March 9, where the child was rushed to Oroville Hospital after the parents realized he was unresponsive.
Shortly after he arrived at the hospital, officials said the child was pronounced dead and the cause of death was ruled to be acute fentanyl intoxication.
Ramsey stated that after a lengthy and extensive investigation by the Oroville Police Department, it was shown that earlier that day, Whitfield, Solansky and their son were asleep in a bedroom of the home.
BCDAO said that Whitfield was sleeping after multiple days of a drug bender, which included fentanyl and methamphetamine. The same day in the afternoon, Solansky woke up to use the bathroom and gave his child his cellphone to watch children’s YouTube videos before Solansky went back to sleep.
At this time, an individual who was described to be a Whitfield drug dealer entered the room unannounced and, after a brief interaction with Solansky and Whitfield, retrieved some car keys and potentially provided fentanyl to Whitfield.
Officials said both of the parents went back to sleep, leaving the child awake as he watched videos on a cellphone. It was at this time, investigators believe the child got into his mother’s fentanyl stash.
The parents were then awakened by a housemate and later discovered their son lying unresponsive next to Whitfield in the bed on her arm, BCDA said.
Authorities stated Whitfield and Solansky are both facing a maximum of 12 years in state prison for child endangerment causing death.
At this time, both are being held with no bail pending their entry of plea on Aug. 28, the DA’s office said.
Adoreil Ayoubgoulan
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