Penn Hills baby died with fentanyl in her system, Allegheny County police said
PENN HILLS (KDKA) -- Allegheny County police and the district attorney's office are investigating after a 7-month-old Penn Hills girl died with fentanyl in her system.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office said 7-month-old Zhuri Bogle died of fentanyl toxicity in January. She died at her home on Chaske Street in the early morning hours of Jan. 14, 2023.
When officers arrived at the scene around 6:45 a.m., Allegheny County police said Bogle's father was performing CPR. Paramedics took over but pronounced the girl dead a short time later.
The night before, Allegheny County police said Bogle was being cared for by her grandmother and a friend of the grandmother. The little girl was already in bed when her parents got home on the night of Jan. 13, police said.
Police detectives are working with the district attorney's office for a decision on charges.
KDKA-TV talked to a special agent with the DEA about the case.
"In 2021, 107,000 people died as a result of a drug poisoning or a drug overdose," said Patrick Trainor, a DEA supervisory special agent. "That is a catastrophic number."
"In the case right here, this baby most likely, it's only speculation, may have ingested some fentanyl," he added. "We don't know how that happened. Certainly, a 7-month-old is not somebody who we would refer to as opioid tolerant. That is somebody who would have no tolerance at all for a synthetic drug this powerful."
Two neighbors KDKA-TV talked to want accountability.
"Definitely accountability, whoever was responsible in whatever way that happened," Brittany Simonic said.
"Somebody should be charged," said Rev. Audrey Burrus. "A baby cannot buy or get fentanyl and put it in their system. Just too many questions there."
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Allegheny County police tipline at 1-833-ALL-TIPS (1-833-255-8477). Callers can remain anonymous.
