Parents Arrested After Their Toddler Tests Positive for THC and Fentanyl

Two parents have been arrested for child abuse. In a Facebook post, the Tuolumne County Sheriff Office (TCSO) recounted the horrifying incident that led to the arrest of Rory Kerr and Denaun Davis.

Earlier this month, deputies responded after a 1-year-old reportedly choked and temporarily stopped breathing.

The toddler was revived on the scene, taken to the hospital, and eventually released to their parents.

However, the following day, Child Welfare Services alerted the TCSO that the child had been taken back to the hospital after their initial release. During that visit, the child was administered CPR and successfully resuscitated.

Child Tests Positive for Drugs

Afterwards, the child tested presumptively positive for Fentanyl and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and was transferred to another hospital for treatment.

The TCSO subsequently launched an investigation, which led them to author multiple warrants in response to the incident. When they executed the search warrant, detectives “located numerous items of drug use paraphernalia containing narcotics residue.”

Detectives also found “a used Narcan, inside the motorhome where the family lived.”

The child’s parents were then arrested at the hospital and transported to the Dambacher Detention Center. There, they were booked on felony child abuse charges—specifically, abuse likely to cause great bodily injury or death.

“All children involved have been placed in protective custody,” the TCSO said. “This remains an active investigation, and no further details will be released at this time.”

The investigation found that one of the parents administered their child Narcan during the medical emergency.

The TCSO’s post included a warning about Narcan. It advised people who use it to still seek medical care and to be honest with emergency responders and healthcare professionals when they do.

“We want to remind the public that while Narcan (naloxone) is a critical and often life-saving tool in reversing the effects of opioid overdoses, including those caused by Fentanyl, it is not a substitute for proper medical care,” the TCSO wrote. “Narcan is temporary in nature and can wear off while dangerous levels of narcotics remain in the body.”

The TCSO ended their post by thanking “Child Welfare Services and Adventist Health Sonora for their assistance and clear lines of communication which were critical to life-saving measures and a successful investigation.”