In a heartbreaking incident, a 9-month-old baby in Florida lost his life after his teenage mother allegedly added fentanyl to his bottle before putting him down for a nap, according to Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper.

Deputies responded to a distress call on Monday regarding an unresponsive baby at a residence in the Callahan area, as shared by Sheriff Leeper during a news conference on Wednesday.

Deputies attempted to revive the infant until firefighters arrived and transported him to a hospital in Jacksonville. Unfortunately, the baby was pronounced dead at the hospital, as confirmed by Sheriff Leeper.

Initially, the mother, aged 17, claimed ignorance about what had happened. She stated that she put the baby to sleep and later found him unresponsive, Sheriff Leeper stated, CNN reported.

However, the mother provided inconsistent statements and eventually confessed that she had been tired and wanted to take a nap.

She admitted to filling the baby’s bottle with a substance she believed to be cocaine, as described by the sheriff.

Subsequent analysis revealed that the substance was, in fact, fentanyl—an opioid, as stated by the sheriff.

The medical examiner’s office determined that the child had consumed a dosage of fentanyl ten times the lethal limit, leading to an overdose and causing his tragic death.

Sheriff Leeper concluded that the mother’s actions exhibited a clear case of culpable negligence and a complete disregard for the safety of her child.

He expressed that the suspect deliberately engaged in an act that she must have known or reasonably should have known would likely result in the death or severe harm to her child.

The mother has been charged with aggravated manslaughter and possession of a controlled substance.

Deputies, in conjunction with the Florida Department of Children and Families, are conducting further investigations into the matter.

Written by B.C. Begley