A Las Vegas woman was sentenced to probation after her baby died from fentanyl exposure, with strict conditions for her treatment and behavior.
Judge Jones emphasized that this was McCall’s only chance. If she breaks the rules of her probation, she could face a prison sentence of up to four years. Initially, McCall was charged with second-degree murder but later pleaded guilty to lesser charges of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment.
The tragic incident happened on June 26, when McCall’s son, Mathias, died from what the coroner ruled as accidental fentanyl exposure. McCall mentioned to neighbors that the baby might have found heroin under the bed. Her defense attorney argued that McCall had smoked fentanyl and fell asleep, only to wake up to find her baby in distress.
At the time of her arrest, McCall was pregnant again, and that child was also born with drugs in her system and is now in foster care. The prosecutor, Dena Rinetti, expressed concern about McCall’s past behavior, stating that it indicated a pattern that needed to be addressed.
McCall’s attorney argued that she wasn’t in a position to recover after her son’s death, claiming that her time in custody was the longest she had been sober since she was 16. McCall expressed remorse and a desire to follow a stable treatment plan moving forward.
Judge Jones acknowledged the difficulty of such cases, noting that the hardest part is knowing that McCall has to live with the consequences of her actions.
