AURORA, Colo. — A man was convicted of multiple charges and sentenced to prison after a 3-year-old ingested fentanyl in a home in May 2021, prosecutors said.
Antonio Espinosa-Tovar, 29, was found guilty July 27 of child abuse and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. He was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison.
> Video above: Doctor explains what to know about fentanyl
Prosecutors said in May 2021, police were called to Children's Hospital Colorado, where a 3-year-old had been brought in for treatment after ingesting an unknown opioid. The medical staff was able to stabilize the child after administering three doses of naloxone, prosecutors said.
“We’re grateful that this 3-year-old child was able to recover following Mr. Espinosa Tovar’s reckless actions,” District Attorney John Kellner said in a news release. “While this situation could have ended in tragedy, this man must be held accountable for putting innocent lives in danger. He made a careless choice to leave this deadly poison in a residence where young children were staying.”
Prosecutors said toxicology tests confirmed the child had fentanyl in his system. When investigators searched the home where Espinosa-Tovar, his girlfriend, and her two children lived, they found three separate bags containing oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl, prosecutors said.
Espinosa-Tovar told investigators he was currently out of work and had been selling pills to make extra money, prosecutors said. He also admitted that he knew the child had taken a pill after he found half of a pill on the floor, they said.
The jury found Espinosa-Tovar guilty of both charges against him.
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