Santa Rosa couple charged with murder in toddler's fentanyl death
SANTA ROSA -- A Santa Rosa couple has been charged with murder following the death of their 15-month-old toddler who died in May after ingesting fentanyl.
During a Thursday hearing in Sonoma County Superior Court, Evan Frostick, 26, and Madison Bernard, 23, were charged with murder along with child cruelty and a sentence enhancement of willfully causing the suffering of a child.
Forstick was taken into custody without bail in the courtroom. An arrest warrant has been issued for Bernard who failed to appear at the hearing.
A plea hearing was scheduled for Aug. 11.
Officers and first responders arrived at the home of the couple on May 9th after Bernard called in to report that her baby was unresponsive. The 15-month-old girl was rushed to the hospital where she subsequently died.
While executing a search warrant, officers located suspected fentanyl and fentanyl paraphernalia including packaged and unpacked suspected fentanyl that was located in numerous parts of the primary bedroom, including in the bed the toddler shared with her parents.
Last month, the Sonoma County Coroner's Office confirmed acute fentanyl intoxication caused the death of 15-month-old Charlotte Frostick.
According to the coroner's report, Bernard used fentanyl and went to sleep while drugs and paraphernalia were on the bed.