Pawtucket father arrested after infant ingests possible narcotic

February 21, 2019 4:51 pm

By Jordan Mazza

Email: jmazza@abc6.com

Twitter: @JordanMazzaTV

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WLNE) – A Pawtucket man was arrested on charges of cruelty / neglect to a child after a 15-month-old infant may have ingested an unknown drug.

Pawtucket Police Detectives began an investigation Friday after an infant was transported to Hasbro Children’s Hospital to be evaluated for possible ingestion of drugs.

“Children put stuff in their mouth all the time,” said Providence EMS Rescue Chief Zach Kenyon. “So if you have medicine you’re taking and you’re done with it, you’ve got to get it out of your house, you’ve got to dispose of it properly. If you’re still using it, you have to make sure it’s secured someplace where the children can’t get to it.”

Police said the father of the child, identified as Michael Wittlin, 30, called 911 after finding a rocky, white substance in his infant daughter’s mouth.

After removing the substance, Police said Wittlin tasted it and reported his mouth going numb, before calling 911.

Police said Wittlin then flushed the substance down the toilet.

Kenyon said if it was an illegal substance, the outcome could have been much worse.

“It’s unfortunate that children are exposed to illegal substances, but the majority of the substances out there today is fentanyl,” the EMS chief said. “And even the tiniest amount can kill a child in an instant.”

According to Police the mother of the infant claimed she was at work at the time of the incident.

Police issued a warrant Thursday for Wittlin on charges of Cruelty to or Neglect of a Child.

He was taken into custody without incident and arraigned Thursday in Providence District Court.

Pawtucket Police said the infant is expected to be okay, and has been removed from the home by DCYF.

The agency said it had no prior contact with the family but is investigating.

“The child’s condition is likely to have been caused by maltreatment,” DCYF spokesperson Kerri White said in a statement. “Pursuant to state law, DCYF notified the Office of the Child Advocate.”

Kenyon says children’s possible exposure to substances like fentanyl is why everyone should carry Narcan.

“Takes a fire department three, four minutes to respond, depending on where they are, what’s going on. And that could be the difference in life or death.”