ALLENTOWN, Pa. — An Allentown man was sentenced Monday to five to 15 years in prison in the fentanyl poisoning death of his 22-month-old son in 2021.
Jorge Suarez-Santiago, 33, of 106 N. 8th St., was sentenced at a hearing before Lehigh County Judge Anna-Kristie M. Marks.
Suarez-Santiago pleaded guilty on March 27 on charges of involuntary manslaughter, a felony of the second degree; endangering the welfare of a child, a first-degree felony; and a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance.Lehigh County Court records
Suarez-Santiago pleaded guilty on March 27 on charges of involuntary manslaughter, a felony of the second degree; endangering the welfare of a child, a first-degree felony; and a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance.
The sentence was announced by Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan.
Also charged is the child’s mother, Jayleen Rivas-Rodriguez, 36, who was sentenced May 5 to serve 5 to 15 years in prison on charges of involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child.
On April 5, 2021, Allentown Police were called to St. Luke’s Hospital-Sacred Heart, for a report of a child who was not breathing.
The child, Johansy Suarez-Rivas, was pronounced dead at a hospital a short time later. He died from fentanyl toxicity.
The amount of fentanyl in his heart blood was measured at 16.5 nanograms per millimeter. A forensic pathologist opined that Johansy died between the morning of April 5 and noon of the same day.
Investigation findings
The investigation revealed that both Suarez-Santiago and Rivas-Rodriguez had used heroin in the hours before their son was declared dead.
Suarez-Santiago, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was alone with his son while Rivas-Rodriguez left their apartment for several hours that day with two other children.
"The investigation revealed the child was exposed to and ingested a lethal dose of fentanyl while in the care of his parents."Lehigh County Court records
The commonwealth alleges that Rivas-Rodriguez left their son in the care of Suarez-Santiago knowing that he was visibly intoxicated.
Rivas-Rodriguez also had provided Suarez-Santiago with what she believed to be heroin prior to leaving the child in his care that day.
Rivas-Rodriguez discovered their son unresponsive upon returning home, where Suarez-Santiago had been responsible for caring for the child for several hours.
The investigation revealed the child was exposed to and ingested a lethal dose of fentanyl while in the care of his parents, who both consciously disregarded the high risk that their reckless use and handling of illegal narcotics was likely to cause death or serious bodily injury to their child.
The case was investigated by Allentown Police Detective Joseph Beiner and the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office and was prosecuted by Holihan and Chief Deputy District Attorney Sara A. Moyer.
