Baby dies of fentanyl overdose in Houma, mother arrested

HOUMA, La. (WGNO) — A Houma woman has been arrested in connection with the overdose death of her 6-week-old child.

Meghan Ashleigh Cortez, 30, was charged with negligent homicide following an incident in February, according to the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office.

On Feb. 5, officers said they were called to a home in the 100 block of St. Louis Street on a report of an unresponsive infant found around 2:30 a.m.

When they arrived, they said the child's body was found and CPR was administered. An ambulance then took the child to hospital.

Detectives said they contacted Cortez, the child's mother, and determined that she, another child and another family member were home at the time of the incident.

During an investigation, Cortez allegedly told officers that she and her two children were sleeping in the bed when she woke up to find the baby lying next to her, unconscious. She added that she began CPR until authorities arrived.

A search of the home led detectives to find evidence of drug paraphernalia. Detectives said they later determined that Cortez was a heroin user and that she admitted to using it just hours before the incident.

Hours later, officers learned the child had been pronounced dead and transferred the body to the Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office, where an autopsy determined the cause of death to be a fentanyl overdose.

The child's death was reclassified as a homicide and an arrest warrant was issued for Cortez.

On June 3, Cortez was arrested and booked into the Terrebonne Parish Criminal Justice Complex. She is being held on $500,000 bail.

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