Father of dead toddler also dies of overdose
A Santa Rosa man died Monday from an overdose of a drug that also killed his 13monthold son over the weekend, according to police and a close friend of the family.
Patrick O’Neill was taken off life support Monday night, said Michael Arevalo, one of O’Neill’s best friends. His death was announced late Monday on social media by friends and family, including the boy’s mother. Santa Rosa police Lt. Dan Marincik confirmed O’Neill’s death to The Chronicle early Tuesday.
Arevalo, 39, said the toddler, who he identified as Liam, likely died after accidentally ingesting the fentanyl that O’Neill had consumed before overdosing. O’Neill struggled with addiction for years but had been trying to get clean in recent months, Arevalo said.
“Pat was struggling with addiction but at the same time he loved his son,” he said. “His son was the reason he got clean. It was hard for him. It was a struggle for him.”
O’Neill and the boy were both found unresponsive Saturday in a bedroom of a house on the 200 block of Darek Drive.
Marincik on Tuesday confirmed O’Neill was Liam’s father. Police had previously said the two were related but had not provided details on their exact relationship.
“Detectives are continuing to follow up on this investigation, so that we can learn the facts and circumstances surrounding what occurred,” Marincik said in a brief video posted to the Santa Rosa Police Department’s Facebook page. “At this time our thoughts and our condolences go out to the family.”
Officers discovered signs of recent drug use next to where the child was found and believe O’Neill’s actions caused the toddler’s death, but no additional details were provided. Authorities previously said O’Neill would be arrested on suspicion of murder upon leaving the hospital.
Arevalo, who moved to Washington just a few weeks ago, said he was at the beach with his girlfriend and kids Saturday when he got a call from a friend saying Liam had died.
“They called me and said that Liam had consumed some drugs and died,” Arevalo told The Chronicle. “I didn’t believe it. I started reaching out to people that knew Patrick directly.”
A few hours later, Arevalo got word that O’Neill had overdosed. His friends and family, including the boy’s mother, didn’t know he was using again, Arevalo said.
“Nobody had any idea, except maybe a couple of people, that he was starting to relapse,” he said. “It was hard for him, I guess.”
Arevalo said O’Neill, who had a criminal record tied to his drug use, left Santa Rosa and moved to Lake Tahoe last year, shortly after Liam was born, to get sober. He returned about six months ago and was clean for about three months, he said.
O’Neill lived in a sober living environment before renting a room a few weeks ago in the home on Darek Drive, where he was found next to Liam.
It was the boy’s mother who found them unresponsive, he said.
Arevalo said he hopes the tragedy educates people about addiction and the dangers of fentanyl, in particular, which he said is easy to obtain.
“It’s just really sad, because I was planning a trip in the beginning of October for Patrick and Liam and everybody to meet my daughters,” said Arevalo, who welcomed twin girls about two weeks ago. “And now they’ll never be able to meet them.”
A GoFundMe page was set up for Liam’s mother.