Fort Myers mother arrested after baby overdoses on fentanyl

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A woman has been arrested after her baby reportedly overdosed on fentanyl and later regained a pulse by CPR in Fort Myers.

On Sunday, at approximately 1:34 a.m., Fort Myers Police Officers responded to a call for service about a baby not breathing.

According to the police department, officers met the caller on the side of the road near Lee Tran Boulevard and Metro Parkway. The caller was the baby’s mother, 38-year-old Mary Sinopoli.

Sinopoli said she was driving the baby to the hospital when she met officers and told them the baby was playing with a puppy toy when he fell asleep. Then he stopped breathing.

They observed the lifeless baby with no pulse and began CPR. Body camera footage showed the Sinopoli in tears as they attempted to revive the baby.

“He was just lying on my carpet. We were watching him, he was playing with his little, he has a green puppy, and he was playing with him and then he started…he fell asleep and he started getting really congested,” Sinopoli told officers.

The baby gained a pulse as EMS arrived.

Narcan was then administered, officers said, due to the baby showing signs of an overdose. Once at the hospital, the baby was stabilized and an investigation began.

Detectives executed a search warrant for the residence where the baby fell unresponsive. Evidence was found within the parents’ home and medical records also showed the presence of Fentanyl in the baby.

Sinopoli is under arrest and faces charges of aggravated child abuse. She faced a judge on Tuesday morning in Fort Myers.

How to spot an overdose

  • Small, constricted “pinpoint pupils”
  • Falling asleep or losing consciousness
  • Slow, weak, or not breathing
  • Choking or gurgling sounds
  • Cold or clammy skin
  • Discolored skin, especially lips and nails
  • Limp body

What to do if you suspect an overdose

  • Administer naloxone or narcan, if available
  • Call 911
  • Try to keep the person awake and breathing
  • Lay the person on their side to prevent choking

Resources

DEA: https://www.dea.gov/fentanylawareness 

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/fentanyl.html 

National Institute on Drug Abuse

National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare 

Treatment Options

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