Parents charged after 4-year-old dies amid possible fentanyl exposure in Brooklyn shelter
EAST FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (WABC) -- The parents of a 4-year-old boy who died after possible exposure to fentanyl inside a family shelter in Brooklyn have been charged.
The boy's parents, 26-year-old Miriam Elkayam and 32-year-old Witzchok Sklar, are both charged with abandonment of a child and criminal possession of a controlled substance.
They were arraigned on Thursday and released on supervised release.
Aron Sklar, 4, was unresponsive and foaming at the mouth with pinpoint pupils when Hatzalah paramedics found him on Tuesday morning at the Women in Need shelter on Glenwood Road.
When asked if there were any drugs in the home, his parents said, "there is fentanyl in the home."
A white fanny pack taken out of the home by the parents was found in a white BMW X5 parked nearby. In it, police said they found a vial of heroin and fentanyl.
Preliminary toxicology and autopsy results on Wednesday indicated the child may have had a medical condition, possibly a viral infection.
Hatzalah medics administered Narcan to the unresponsive boy, but it was not effective. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Further testing should reveal the nature of the boy's viral infection.
Representatives for the shelter released a statement saying they are devastated and, "we are working closely with the NYPD to support their ongoing investigation. We remain committed as ever to fostering a safe and supportive environment for all families that call a WIN shelter home."
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