A Stockton father was sentenced to 11 years in prison for the voluntary manslaughter of his daughter, who died from fentanyl exposure, according to the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office.
Dominique Gray, 31, received his sentence from San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Allen Jose, the district attorney’s office announced Thursday.
“Losing a child so full of promise, breaks my heart,” San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas said in a statement. “This case reminds us how one reckless moment can shatter lives. I’m grateful for the hard work that brought justice for this baby girl, and we’ll keep fighting to protect every child in our community.”
Prosecutors said the child, who was about to turn 2 years old, died after ingesting a lethal dose of fentanyl. Investigators determined that Gray had left a fentanyl pill within the child’s reach, resulting in her death.
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On April 27, 2022, the Stockton Fire Department and deputies from the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office were called to a home in the 2300 block of North Marine Avenue in Stockton. Deputies said a report had been made about a child in cardiac arrest.
The baby, who had not woken up from an afternoon nap, was taken to St. Joseph’s Medical Center. The child died at the hospital.
Deputies said there were no obvious signs of abuse and that the child had no known medical history. As part of the post-mortem examination, a toxicology test was conducted.
The report showed the presence of fentanyl in the child’s system, according to the sheriff’s office.
An investigation revealed that the fentanyl was brought into the home by Gray, who became addicted to the substance after being prescribed opiates for an injury, deputies said.
On Aug. 10, 2022, after a search warrant was served at the home, substances containing fentanyl and drug paraphernalia were recovered from the home.
Law enforcement said Gray admitted to knowingly bringing the fentanyl into the home. He was arrested on suspicion of felony child endangerment and murder.
At the time of Gray’s arrest, two other adults and a 5-month-old child were also at the residence.
Desiree Krigbaum, 25, and Nicholaus Niederbrach, 20, both of Valley Springs, were arrested and charged with felony child endangerment.
Gray’s two other children were placed in the custody of family members, and the 5-month-old was placed in the custody of San Joaquin County Child Protective Services.
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This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton father sentenced to prison for the fentanyl death of his toddler
Reporting by Victoria Franco / The Record
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