Grand jury indicts 3 in connection to death of toddler in Pawtucket
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday a grand jury indicted three people in connection to the death of a toddler in Pawtucket late last year.
Attorney General Peter Neronha said that on Sept. 1, the grand jury charged Jessaline Andrade, 27, with one count of second-degree murder and two counts of cruelty or neglect of a child.
The jury also charged both Stephano Castro, 31, and Yara Chum, 34, with one count of murder.
On Dec. 10, Pawtucket police responded to Sayles Avenue for an unresponsive 2-year-old. When they arrived, they found an apartment that was in terrible condition and without furniture. They also discovered equipment that’s commonly used in drug distribution.
The toddler, police said, was taken to the hospital where it died of acute fentanyl intoxication. An 8-year-old boy was also found to have been exposed to fentanyl but survived.
After a two month investigation, police said they arrested Andrade, who’s the mother of the child. Castro and Chum were also arrested.
All three are expected to face a Providence County Superior Court judge later this month.
