A California father has been arrested after his toddler died of a fentanyl overdose.
"This is a tragic loss for the family and our community, and I look forward to justice being served so there is some closure," Livermore, California Police Chief Jeramy Young said in the Facebook post Friday.
According to the Livermore Police Department, officers responded to a call in August regarding a 23-month-old that was not breathing, with officers finding the toddler unresponsive when they arrived at the scene. Officers attempted to treat the child at the scene and were eventually relieved by paramedics, but the toddler was eventually declared at the hospital.
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The death resulted in an investigation, with police finding the child's biological father, 22-year-old Justin Pittman, was the "sole caretaker" of the child the day of the incident. Pittman later revealed to detectives that he was addicted to fentanyl.
A later autopsy and toxicology report revealed that the child had toxic levels of fentanyl in her bloodstream at the time of her death, resulting in a warrant being issued for Pittman's arrest.
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Officers from Livermore Police’s Criminal Investigations Bureau and Crime Prevention Unit located and arrested Pittman in a business parking lot last week and charged him with homicide and child abuse causing death.
Pittman is being held at Santa Rita Jail with no bail and the investigation is still ongoing.
"Fentanyl is an extremely dangerous drug and impacts the lives of many," Young said. "Fentanyl use and the illegal distribution of the drug is a nationwide epidemic."
