2-year-old boy overdoses on ‘unimaginable’ combination of drugs, Pennsylvania cops say

A 2-year-old boy who died in 2022 consumed a combination of drugs that could have killed an adult, Pennsylvania authorities say.

Now, four adults designated as the caregivers for the toddler have been arrested and charged in the boy’s death, Somerset County District Attorney Molly Metzgar announced in a Wednesday, April 17, news release.

Jeremy Chaney, Lauren Livengood, Linda Pape and Rusty Koval are charged with endangering the welfare of a child, involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment of another person, the district attorney said. Koval also faces drug possession and tampering charges.

Livengood and Chaney were the child’s parents, while Pape was his grandmother and a “known drug user,” WJAC reported, citing affidavits. Koval had reportedly been staying at the residence where the boy lived.

Their charges stem from the death of the Milford Township child, who was taken to a hospital in 2022 when he was unresponsive, Metzgar said.

He died 15 minutes after being taken to the emergency room, WTAJ reported.

Autopsy and toxicology results showed the boy died from “multiple drug intoxication” after ingesting fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and xylazine, according to the district attorney.

“This dangerous combination of deadly drugs is unimaginable and could have easily killed an adult, let alone a two-year-old child,” Metzgar said in the news release.

Livengood told police she believed her son drank the contents of a water bottle, which she said was contaminated with drugs, according to the affidavit obtained by WTAJ. Livengood said she saw signs the boy was overdosing before she took him to the hospital.

The four adults were the caregivers of the child, according to the prosecutor, who said they “violated their duty of care to the child by having knowledge of ongoing drug activity within the home.”

Somerset County is about an 80-mile drive southeast from Pittsburgh.

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