Sick SF parents charged with overdose murder of 2-year-old child
The tragic death of a two-year-old girl in San Francisco has led to murder charges being filed against her parents, Michelle Price and Steve Ramirez. The District Attorney, Brooke Jenkins, announced the new charges on top of the original felony child endangerment charges. It is alleged that the parents knowingly left fentanyl within reach of their child, despite being aware of its dangers.
The toddler, who remains unnamed, was born with fentanyl in her system, indicating that both parents were drug users. She had spent the first few months of her life in the hospital, and her parents had kept Narcan in their apartment in case of an overdose. Jenkins, who is committed to addressing the drug epidemic in northern California, stated that the parents understood the lethality of fentanyl but still chose to expose their child to it in significant and harmful ways.
On February 12, San Francisco Police Department officers responded to a 911 call reporting a child not breathing and found the girl deceased. Medical responders noted signs of rigor mortis and lividity, suggesting that she had been dead for hours. Drug paraphernalia, a used Narcan container, fentanyl, and spoiled milk bottles were found at the scene. Both parents were arrested, with high levels of fentanyl and meth in their systems. The child’s cause of death was determined to be acute fentanyl toxicity.
Ramirez attempted to flee the scene and resisted arrest, leading to additional charges. Assistant District Attorney Leigh Frazier revealed that Child Protective Services had previous knowledge of neglect involving the child but failed to prevent further neglect. Despite prior interventions and monitoring, the neglect, drug use in the residence, and ultimately the child’s death were not prevented.
The investigation into the case is ongoing, and the parents are scheduled for their next hearing on Thursday. This heartbreaking incident serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of drug abuse and neglect on vulnerable children.
