In a significant development, the San Jose Police Department announced the arrest of Kelly Gene Richardson, 28, in connection with the fentanyl poisoning death of her 18-month-old daughter earlier this year.
This arrest follows the earlier detainment of the child’s father, Derek Vaughn Rayo, 27, who was already in custody at the time of Richardson’s arrest.
Authorities revealed that both parents had traces of fentanyl and other opioids in their systems at the time of the tragic incident, which occurred at their residence in the 1500 block of Huddersfield Court in San Jose.
If convicted, Richardson and Rayo could each be sentenced to a minimum of 15 years to life in prison.
This case marks a notable first for the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, as it is the initial instance of parents being charged with the murder of their own child in a fentanyl-related death, according to prosecutors.
when San Jose police responded to Rayo’s distress call reporting that his daughter was unconscious and not breathing. Tragically, the child was discovered to have been deceased for several hours, as revealed by prosecutors.
A subsequent search of the residence unearthed incriminating evidence. Investigators discovered fentanyl on the nightstand in the master bedroom, a scraping tool with fentanyl residue on the desk, and another scraping tool with fentanyl on a rug beneath the baby’s lifeless body, according to a news release from prosecutors.
Earlier this month, the Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office confirmed a lethal concentration of fentanyl in the child’s blood, prompting the intensified investigation that led to Richardson’s arrest.
This latest development adds to a series of cases involving parents facing legal consequences in the wake of fentanyl-related child deaths, underscoring the urgency for authorities to address the growing crisis associated with opioid exposure among young children.
