COCOA, Fla. -- A Cocoa mother and father have been charged with manslaughter on Wednesday after officials say their 8-month-old infant died of a drug overdose.
- David Williams Chappele, Jessica Marie Strickland charged with manslaughter
- Deputies say their child was near drugs, swallowed cocaine
On Sept. 6, 2017, the Brevard County Sheriff's Office deputies were called a Walnut Street residence about a baby that was not responsive, deputies stated in a Facebook post on Wednesday evening.
The Brevard County Medical Examiner determined that the baby died from an overdose of fentanyl and cocaine.
David Williams Chappele Jr. 29, and Jessica Marie Strickland, 27, placed a mattress on the living room floor so they could sleep with their infant, however, when Strickland woke up, she found the child unresponsive and called 911, deputies stated.
"It is alleged that Chappele was wearing multiple fentanyl patches, which had been cut in half, where a lethal amount of fentanyl residue was then transferred to the infant. It is also alleged that the infant ingested cocaine as Strickland was using the drug while caring for the infant," the Sheriff's Office continued.
They are both charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child. Chappele is being charged because he allowed the child to be near "a dangerous narcotic" that caused the baby to die and Strickland's charge relates to how she failed to protect her child "from the drugs that were being used by both parents," deputies explained.
Anyone with information is asked to call Agent Wendy Wheeler of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, Homicide Unit at 321-633-8413.