A tragedy in Cobb County has led to a mother’s lengthy prison sentence after her child succumbed to a lethal dose of fentanyl. Jocelyn Romero, age 22, will face 50 years in prison following a guilty plea on charges of murder and cruelty to children, along with several drug trafficking offenses, as detailed by FOX 5 Atlanta. Romero’s boyfriend, Pablo Garcia, 21, has also been sentenced after a guilty plea on related drug trafficking charges, handing him 30 years of a 60-year sentence.
The case unfolded on December 4, 2023, when Romero’s 2-year-old son was taken to Northside Hospital, unresponsive and cold. Despite resuscitative efforts, the child was pronounced dead. Initially, the cause of death was unclear, but toxicology reports later revealed a fentanyl concentration of 19 nanograms per milliliter in the blood of the toddler, a quantity deemed lethal. Romero, who was pregnant at the time and has since given birth, reported that she believed her son had ingested something that tasted spicy, prompting her to give him water before he fell asleep, only to later discover he wasn’t breathing.
Upon further investigation, authorities found evidence on Romero’s phone of her involvement in extensive drug trafficking activities. According to Atlanta News First, Romero kept substantial amounts of drugs, up to “6,000 fentanyl pills” and “dozens of kilos of methamphetamine and fentanyl” within the same spaces where her son slept. She also reportedly used her son as a cover during drug deals, aiming to deflect law enforcement scrutiny…