Galveston couple charged after 4-month-old girl drinks fentanyl-laced milk, records show

Saturday, January 20, 2024
Texas couple arrested, charged after baby ingested opioids in milk bottle and revived with Narcan, Galveston police say
Investigators said the 4-month-old girl's mother and her boyfriend are sitting in the Galveston County Jail after medics found opioids in the baby's milk bottle.

GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A mother and her boyfriend are sitting behind bars after being accused of providing the woman's baby with fentanyl-laced milk, according to court records.



The Galveston Police Department said the incident happened on Thursday at about 1:18 a.m. at a home on Avenue M 1/2.



When first responders arrived at the home, they said they found a 4-month-old unconscious.



Paramedics said that Narcan, used to counter the effects of opioids, including fentanyl, was the only way to revive the girl.



The girl was taken to an emergency center and tested positive for opiates.



On Friday, Christa Watkins and her boyfriend, Christopher Luis Velazquez, were charged with felony injury to a child, and each had an initial bond of $80,000.



That bond was later denied because the couple each had a hold for failure to meet a previous bond condition, according to police.



According to records, Watkins said her daughter might have ingested dust from a Vicodin pill she took earlier in the day. But, doctors told investigators that the baby's drug test ruled out Vicodin.



Detectives searched the home, where the baby's father, mother, and grandmother live, according to a probable cause affidavit used for the investigation.



During the search, police said they found several bottles of prescription pills and a clear plastic bag with a brown substance.



Investigators said the drugs were found in the bedroom where Watkins and Velazquez slept, adding that the brown substance tested positive for fentanyl and oxycodone.



A baby bottle that was about 2/3 filled with milk was found on the bedroom dresser, according to police.



Watkins reportedly told officers that she did not feed her daughter breast milk, according to the affidavit.



The milk tested presumptive positive for fentanyl and oxycodone, according to the probable cause affidavit.



The baby is now in Child Protective Services care.



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