Investigators say a search of the Fort Myers room uncovered fentanyl and drug paraphernalia accessible to a 10-year-old.
FORT MYERS, Fla. — What began as a medical emergency involving an unresponsive 10-year-old at a Fort Myers hotel expanded into a narcotics and child neglect investigation after deputies obtained a search warrant and reported finding fentanyl throughout the room.
Robert Dillard, 34, and Tasianna Squires, 27, were arrested on child neglect and fentanyl trafficking charges after the Aug. 12 incident at the Quality Suites, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators said drugs and paraphernalia discovered during the search were accessible to children.
Deputies had initially responded to the hotel because of the child’s medical condition. The sheriff’s office said the 10-year-old was unconscious and not breathing when deputies arrived and had only a faint pulse. Deputies determined that a possible drug overdose was involved, administered Narcan and had the child taken to a nearby hospital.
Dillard and Squires were detained while deputies continued investigating. The seriousness of the medical emergency led to a joint investigation involving detectives from the sheriff’s office Special Victims Unit and Narcotics Unit.
Detectives later obtained a warrant to search the room. According to the sheriff’s office, they found drug paraphernalia and clear bags containing fentanyl in multiple locations. Investigators also reported finding fentanyl inside Squires’ purse.
Another quantity of fentanyl was discovered behind a refrigerator, authorities said. The sheriff’s office described that amount as sufficient to support a trafficking allegation. Officials did not publicly provide the weight of the fentanyl in the reports reviewed for this story.
The sheriff’s office said the location of the drugs was significant to the child neglect investigation because the fentanyl and related items were within reach of children. Detectives ultimately said they had probable cause to arrest both adults on child neglect and trafficking charges.
Sheriff Carmine Marceno criticized the alleged circumstances in the room, saying that leaving drugs within reach of a child represented “a whole new level of negligence.” The criminal charges remain allegations and must be resolved through the court process.
Authorities have not disclosed the relationship between Dillard, Squires and the 10-year-old. The sheriff’s office also has not released an updated condition for the child or additional information establishing precisely how the possible overdose occurred.
No further arrests or additional charges had been publicly announced in the information released about the case. The investigation followed the child’s hospitalization and the seizure of the suspected drugs and related items from the hotel room.
Author note: Last updated August 17, 2026.