Couple arrested: Suspected fentanyl near child’s body

A Santa Rosa man and woman are suspected of child abuse in connection with the death of their 15-monthold toddler on Monday, after authorities said they found what they suspected to be fentanyl in their home.

Evan Frostick, 26, and Madison Bernard, 23, were arrested and booked for alleged cruelty to a child likely to produce great bodily injury or death after Santa Rosa authorities allegedly found suspected fentanyl near their unresponsive toddler, according to the Santa Rosa Police Department.

Santa Rosa police officers, fire officials and emergency crews on Monday morning responded to a report of an unresponsive toddler at a home on the 800 block of Sonoma Avenue, police said.

When authorities arrived at the Sonoma Avenue home, they said they “noticed suspected fentanyl near where the toddler was found.” Emergency personnel began performing lifesaving measures on the toddler, who was not breathing, authorities said. Emergency crews transported the toddler to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

Investigators from the Santa Rosa Police Department’s narcotic, violence and sexual assault and violent crimes teams began to investigate the incident and executed a search warrant “based on the circumstances,” authorities said.

Authorities then allegedly found packaged and unpacked suspected fentanyl and fentanyl paraphernalia “in numerous parts of the primary bedroom, including in the bed the toddler shared with her parents,” Santa Rosa police said.

Santa Rosa police said they may file additional charges based on the results of an autopsy, including a toxicology test on the toddler that was scheduled later this week.

The toddler’s death on Monday was similar to a separate incident in 2019, when a Santa Rosa man died of an accidental fentanyl overdose that also killed his 13-month-old son. In 2021, federal authorities sentenced two people for supplying the deadly dose of the drug to the father.