
Two weeks after his , twin sibling died of a suspected abuse, a second 3-year-old child died after even being exposed to dangerous drugs, law enforcement officials said.
The sisters ‘ toddlers were taken to the hospital last week after being discovered indifferent at their Canoga Park home.
Josiah James was pronounced dead at the medical Thursday, according to the , Los Angeles County medical examiner. His nephew, whose title has not been released, died Saturday, according to Officer Kevin Terzes, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson.
According to law enforcement sources who were unaware of the case but were not authorized to speak in public, the child had been in critical issue since arriving at the hospital.
On July 9, the lads had only celebrated their next holiday.
Their mother, 22-year-old Jestice James, has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is being held in lieu of$ 2-million bail.
According to a news release last week, LAPD officials have declined to provide any details about the circumstances surrounding the boys ‘ deaths besides revealing that they ingested or were exposed to” an unknown substance” ( ).  , The official cause of death in both instances remains under investigation.
Nevertheless, law enforcement sources alleged that the child came into contact with medicines laced with , fentanyl, the very strong artificial opioid. The sources claimed that parts of the boys ‘ Canoga Park home were easily available to the medication.
As the very addictive drug has become more and more prominent on the black market, there has recently been a rise in cases where babies and toddlers have been  killed by morphine.
Earlier this year, a , 2-year-old son in Lancaster died , after being exposed to fentanyl during a explore with his family that had been approved by Los Angeles County’s Department of Children and Family Services.
___
© 2024 Los Angeles Times
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.