The Lompoc parents of a 1-year-old boy who are charged with child abuse for allegedly exposing him to fentanyl, nearly costing him his life, appeared in court Wednesday but their case was continued to next month with no action taken.
Defendants Curtis Michael Roberts, 43, and Jessie Lacy McCoy, 36, were scheduled to have a date set for their preliminary hearing, but their case was continued to March 8 for another prelim setting conference, Deputy District Attorney Madison Whitmore told the News-Press.
They are charged with three felony counts of child abuse, one pertaining to their 1-year-old son, and the others for allegedly exposing his 3-year-old sister and 4-year-old brother to fentanyl as well, all under circumstances “likely to cause great bodily injury or death.”
Lompoc police, firefighters and AMR ambulance crew responded at 11:14 a.m. on Jan. 5 to a residence at 800 N. F St. regarding a 1-year-old child that was unresponsive.
A police investigation revealed the 1-year-old had been exposed to fentanyl. The child was administered Narcan (naloxone) by fire and medical personnel on the scene and was revived. The child was transported to the Lompoc Valley Medical Center for further medical care.
The mother and father, Mr. Roberts and Ms. McCoy, were both arrested for felony child endangerment. The couple pleaded not guilty at their Jan. 9 arraignment. If convicted of all charges, each defendant would be subject to a maximum sentence of eight years, eight months in state prison.
Mr. Roberts is in custody at the county jail on $100,000 bail. Ms. McCoy is being held on $200,000 bail.
The criminal complaint filed against them alleges the couple created conditions likely to cause their children “to suffer, and to be inflicted to with unjustifiable physical pain and mental suffering,” and that they did in fact, “willfully cause and permit said child to be placed in such situation that his/her person and health was/were endangered.”
The complaint alleges aggravating factors, in that the crime involved great violence, great bodily harm, threat of great bodily harm, or other acts disclosing a high degree of cruelty, viciousness or callousness, and that their victims were particularly vulnerable.
In addition, Ms. McCoy faces aggravating factors in that her prior convictions as an adult or sustained petitions in juvenile delinquency proceedings are numerous or of increasing seriousness; that she has served a prior term in prison or county jail; and that her prior performance on probation, mandatory supervision, post-release community supervision or parole was “unsatisfactory.”
Prosecutors say because of her prior conviction in June 2009 in Los Angeles, Ms. McCoy would receive a second strike if convicted of the current charges.
“This incident should be a reminder of the dangers of fentanyl,” police said at the time. “Only a 2-milligram dose of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose, and it is particularly dangerous for someone with no tolerance to opioids. The fentanyl drug is 50 times more potent than heroin.”
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