Mother arrested, companion sought in connection with 1-year-old child’s methadone overdose
MANCHESTER — A police investigation into the circumstances of a July incident in which a 1-year-old child had overdosed on the powerful pain-reliever methadone, which is also used to treat drug addiction, has yielded the arrest of one person — the child’s mother — and an arrest warrant for a man.
Arrested Wednesday was Brianna Lavoie, 25, while an arrest warrant is out for 34-year-old Derrick Richards Lewis, according to police.
Lavoie is charged with one count each of criminal liability to first-degree assault, reckless conduct, possession of a controlled drug, and endangering the welfare of a child.
As for Lewis, police didn’t list the charges on which they issued the warrant for his arrest.
They did ask that anyone who may have information regarding his whereabouts to contact the department at 668-8711, or place an anonymous call to the Manchester Crimeline at 624-4040.
The investigation into the child’s overdose got underway on July 26, when Stoughton, Massachusetts police contacted Manchester authorities to inform them they were investigating the drug overdose of a child, and that the child was believed to have ingested the drug in Manchester.
Stoughton police said a 1-year-old child had been brought to a Stoughton hospital after the people who were with him or her noticed he or she was lethargic, and had slowed breathing.
Police said the child was ultimately flown by medical helicopter to Children’s Hospital in Boston, where he or she tested positive for methadone.
Stoughton police told Manchester police they determined that the child had ingested the methadone in Manchester, before leaving for Stoughton.
The people with the child in Stoughton told police they took the child to the Ikea store “to give the mother a break,” according to Manchester police.
Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.