The father and aunt of a 2-year-old girl from Mansfield, Texas are facing criminal charges for allegedly waiting two hours to call 911 after the toddler ingested fentanyl-laced pills, court records show.
Nevaeh Meshelle Reed’s official cause of death is still pending, but her father, Michael Ray Reed, and aunt, Jamie Nicole Popovic, have been charged, according to an arrest warrant obtained by USA TODAY. Reed is charged with knowingly causing serious injury to a child, which is a first-degree felony, and Popovic was indicted on first-degree felony child endangerment and abandonment charges.
The warrant shows Reed delayed contacting authorities after learning of Nevaeh’s condition and discouraged others in the apartment, including Popovic, from calling 911. Prosecutors allege Reed also tried to get Naloxone, a drug used to reverse an overdose, delivered by DoorDash.
USA TODAY could not reach Reed’s or Popovic’s attorneys Wednesday morning.
Nevaeh Meshelle Reed, who was described as a “vibrant soul” in an obituary posted on the website of the Golden Gate Funeral Home in Dallas, died on Feb. 28, 10 days after authorities were called to her father’s apartment.