OC mother charged with child abuse after infant was exposed to fentanyl

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - A mother has been charged with felony child abuse and endangerment after her two-year-old child was exposed to fentanyl, according to a statement from the Orange County DA's office. 

Jacqueline Hunter, 30, of Irvine, has been charged with one felony count of child abuse and endangerment, two misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance, and one felony enhancement of causing great bodily injury on a child under the age of 5.

She faces a maximum sentence of 12 years if convicted on all counts. 

According to the DA's office, on January 9, 2023 after returning home from a doctors’ appointment for a broken leg, the 23-month-old child began struggling to breathe and then stopped breathing entirely. His father gave him CPR until paramedics arrived.

While at the hospital, the baby tested positive for fentanyl.

"There is absolutely no reason that little boy is sitting in a hospital bed right now unable to breathe on his own," said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. "A parent’s only job is to protect their children from harm and because of a selfish decision by his mother, this baby is fighting to survive."

During a search of the family's house, officers uncovered a bag of fentanyl and Xanax pills. 

The DA's office said Hunter possessed the drugs without the knowledge of her husband and allowed the baby access to the drugs.