Apache Junction 3-year-old dies after ingesting fentanyl pill, police say
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Our investigations are ongoing to determine the location where the child may have come into contact with street-grade/illicit fentanyl found in his system, as he had been traveling between Apache Junction, Mesa and Maricopa county islands.”
Rayna Steffen, AJPD’s public safety information officer
The Apache Junction Police Department is investigating the death of a 3-year-old boy after he ingested at least one fentanyl pill.
Fentanyl is a synthetic, short-acting narcotic drug used for severe pain and as a general anesthetic.
“The boy was taken to the hospital by his family and treated with Narcan before being air evacuated to another hospital, where he died from a fentanyl overdose. This is an ongoing criminal investigation,” police said.
Narcan is a device that delivers naloxone, an opioid-overdose antidote.
The incident occurred Jan. 26 and he died Jan. 29, Rayna Steffen, AJPD’s public safety information officer, said.
“We received this case last Thursday evening after two other agencies were previously contacted regarding a child being treated for an illness due to fentanyl,” she said.
“Our investigations are ongoing to determine the location where the child may have come into contact with street-grade/illicit fentanyl found in his system, as he had been traveling between Apache Junction, Mesa and Maricopa county islands. The boy was (airlifted) to Banner Desert on Thursday, Jan. 26, where he died from signs of an overdose on Sunday, Jan. 29. We’re working with Pinal County Attorney’s Office,” Steffen said.
“More than five people die every day from opioid overdoses in Arizona. This child’s death highlights the dangerous consequences of fentanyl and other illicit drugs in our ongoing fight against this epidemic,” AJPD said.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Richard Dyer Managing Editor | East Valley @RHDyer
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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