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A 22-year-old mother faces murder charges in connection with the deaths of her twin 3-year-old sons who were allegedly exposed to fentanyl.
Jestice James faces two counts of murder and child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death, along with allegations of child endangerment, according to a release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said that evidence indicates fentanyl was involved in the deaths.
On July 11 emergency crews responded to a home in Palm Vista Apartments, an affordable housing building in San Fernando Valley run by the city of Los Angeles.
Paramedics attempted to save the lives of twins Josiah and Jestine at the scene.
Both boys were taken to the hospital. Josiah died on the same day, and Jestine died on July 13.
"Preliminary investigation revealed that the children had ingested, or been exposed to, an unknown substance," according to an LAPD statement released on Friday.
"The mother and other residents of the home were transported to the LAPD Topanga Community Police Station for questioning."
Police said the other residents of the home are not being investigated any further.
“These innocent boys reportedly came into contact with fentanyl, an opioid that has wreaked havoc across our communities,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. “This tragedy is part of a disturbing trend where babies and toddlers are increasingly becoming victims of the opioid crisis.”
James is being held in lieu of $4m bail, and if convicted as charged, she faces life in prison. Her arraignment was scheduled for Tuesday.
Family members spoke with ABC7 about their loss.
“Anyone who has a family member, a friend, an associate who is indulging in that particular drug, to know that it is a fatal drug," said the boy’s godmother Regina Holmes. "We lost Juju and Jojo."
The boys had just turned three, and the family had celebrated their birthdays on July 9.
"They still had a long life to live that we hoped and wished to be able to see, but unfortunately, they were taken away too soon and way too young," said the boys’ cousin Precios Padilla.
Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami told ABC7 that the case was one of five involving children and fentanyl he was looking into, all in the last six months.
Last month, two men pleaded guilty to drug charges and causing bodily harm after a toddler died of a fatal opioid overdose in September at a daycare center in the Bronx, New York City.
The two men admitted to storing fentanyl underneath the floorboards of the daycare. Three other children survived after medics administered the overdose-reversing drug Narcan.
