Baby survives fentanyl overdose, Collier couple arrested

Reporter: Haley Zarcone
Published: Updated:

A baby survives a fentanyl overdose before their first birthday.

That child is safe as a couple sits behind bars in Collier County.

Somewhere between Caitlinn Smith, the infant’s mother, getting into the shower and getting out, the infant got its hands on a piece of tin foil.

On that foil was fentanyl.

It was found in the infant’s mouth when the mother came out of the shower, but where it came from is still a mystery.

The affidavit said that on the morning of September 4, a second child, about 9 years old, first noticed something wrong.

Saved by two shots of Narcan, the baby living through this is a miracle.

A miracle law firm partner, Desiree Wilson, said that could be the reason why the couple is facing child neglect without bodily harm.

“The fact that they had to give the baby two shots of Narcan is telling. You have a baby, which is a very small person and needing two shots of it. I’m no doctor, but it seems like there was more than just a little bit in this baby’s system,” Wilson said.

Smith blamed the fentanyl on her partner, Richard Mahoney, saying he “keeps stuff” in a drawer and is “good about hiding stuff.”

No matter how it got there, admitting to drugs being in the household is jail time.

“Looking at this case, in particular, there may be some difficulty from the prosecution’s viewpoint of establishing who was responsible for that drug in that household,” Wilson said.

Smith and Mahoney are both in Collier County Jail, facing charges of child neglect without bodily harm.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.