Taunton Couple Charged After Overdosing With Child In Car

TAUNTON (CBS) -- Jeffrey Silva and Lynette Slocum are the latest faces of the opiate epidemic in our region. They overdosed on heroin Friday night with their two-year-old son in the backseat of their car.

Police say they drove around after shooting up heroin, and ended up overdosing outside of a market.

"During that entire time their two-year-old child was also in the vehicle with them," said Prosecutor Meghan Burns.

As the young Taunton couple faced a judge Monday, relatives were wondering if this is finally rock bottom for them.

Silva's mother was in tears, saying he's struggled with addiction for two years.

"They were doing good, and they started back up again I guess," she said.

Police say they nearly died outside of the Taunton convenience store. Paramedics brought them back with an opiate antidote called Narcan.

"We have over 100-something Narcan calls for the year so far in August," said Chief Tim Bradshaw of the Taunton Fire Department.

Opiate addiction now cuts across all socio-economic boundaries. The Department of Public Health says the number of accidental, opioid-related deaths has gone up 88 percent in the last two years.

As for the little boy, he is now in the custody of Lynette Slocum's mother.

"She's my child, and I love my child, but she's wrong. And I hope that she has learned," said Slocum's mother.