Allentown, Pennsylvania – Law enforcement officials in Lehigh County have taken action against the parents of a 22-month-old boy following his tragic death due to fentanyl toxicity over three years ago. Jorge Suarez-Santiago, 32, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Jayleen Rivas-Rodriguez, 35, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, are now facing murder charges, with warrants issued for their arrests.
The heartbreaking incident unfolded on April 5, 2021, when authorities responded to a distress call from an Allentown hospital regarding a 22-month-old boy named Johansy Suarez-Rivas who was not breathing. Despite efforts from medical personnel, the child was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
Following an investigation, it was revealed that Johansy tragically succumbed to fentanyl toxicity after ingesting a lethal dose of the substance. The level of fentanyl found in the child’s heart blood was measured at 16.5 nanograms per millimeter, though initially ruled accidental by the Lehigh County Coroner.
Authorities uncovered that the parents, Suarez-Santiago and Rivas-Rodriguez, had used heroin in the hours leading up to their son’s untimely passing. Suarez-Santiago was left alone with Johansy while Rivas-Rodriguez departed their residence on North 8th Street in Allentown for an extended period.
Despite Suarez-Santiago’s visible intoxication, Rivas-Rodriguez entrusted the care of their son to him, allegedly having given him heroin before leaving. Upon her return home, she found Johansy unresponsive, sparking a devastating chain of events that led to the child’s tragic demise.
A spokesperson for the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office emphasized the parents’ conscious disregard for the potential harm their reckless drug use posed to their child, resulting in the severe consequences. Rivas-Rodriguez is currently being represented by the Lehigh County Public Defenders Office, while online records do not indicate legal representation for Suarez-Santiago. The case continues to unfold amid ongoing investigations and legal proceedings.