Mom faces murder charge after 2-year-old consumes fentanyl, California officials say

When police arrived at a California home after a 911 call, Genesis Barrera-Galdamez told officers her 2-year-old son “appeared blue and his body was very cold,” prosecutors say.

Police and medics tried for 30 minutes to revive Jasani Kerry Jr. to no avail, according to a news release from the Contra Costa County district attorney. Autopsy results show the 2-year-old died after consuming fentanyl.

Now his 22-year-old mother faces charges including murder in her son’s death, the district attorney’s office says.

“While the defendant did not intend that her son Jasani die, the evidence shows that she was aware her fentanyl possession and use was dangerous to human life and despite this knowledge, exposed Jasani to the danger which ultimately led to his death,” Deputy District Attorney Derek Butts said in a statement.

Barrera-Galdamez also faces charges including felony child abuse and felony possession of fentanyl to sell, the release says.

Officers who responded to her Sept. 20 call for help found 13 grams of powdered fentanyl, baggies and tin foil in the home, according to prosecutors.

After Jasani’s death, Brentwood police say they discovered Barrera-Galdamez tried to sell fentanyl to several people. They arrested her Oct. 30 at a Comfort Inn in Antioch, where they say she was trying to sell fentanyl, the release says.

Barrera-Galdamez is being held on $1.1 million bail, prosecutors say. She will be arraigned on the charges Nov. 18.

This story was originally published November 5, 2020 at 1:22 PM with the headline "Mom faces murder charge after 2-year-old consumes fentanyl, California officials say."