2 arrested after 10-year-old found unresponsive from possible fentanyl overdose in Florida hotel room: LCSO

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Courtesy: Lee County Sheriff's Office

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Two people were arrested after a 10-year-old child was found unresponsive from a possible drug overdose at a Fort Myers hotel, where Lee County deputies say they discovered fentanyl and drug paraphernalia inside the room.

Florida hotel possible child overdose

What we know:

The Lee County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to the Quality Suites on Aug. 12 for what initially appeared to be a medical emergency.

When deputies arrived, they found the child not awake or breathing and with a faint pulse, according to the sheriff's office.

Deputies administered Narcan after determining the child was suffering from a potential drug overdose. The child was taken to a nearby hospital for further treatment, LCSO said.

Fentanyl seized

Dig deeper:

Robert Dillard, 34, and Tasianna Squires, 27, were detained while deputies investigated the incident.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for the hotel room and found drug paraphernalia and clear bags containing fentanyl throughout the room and inside Squires' purse, according to the sheriff's office.

Investigators also found what LCSO described as trafficking amounts of fentanyl behind the refrigerator.

LCSO said the drugs and other items found inside the room were easily accessible to children.

Charges and sheriff statement

What they're saying:

Detectives arrested both Squires and Dillard on charges of child neglect and trafficking fentanyl, according to the sheriff’s office.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno condemned the circumstances surrounding the incident and said there was "a whole new level of negligence" involved in leaving drugs within reach of a child.

"Using and possessing these drugs is one thing — but leaving them within arm’s reach of a child is a whole new level of negligence," Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said. "I have made it very clear — there is no place for this poison on the streets of Lee County, and we will stop at nothing to prevent it. I am horrified by the actions of these two senseless criminals, and I will ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."