ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A man who was with his toddler son when the boy overdosed on drugs has pleaded guilty Thursday to felony charges in the death, the Lehigh County district attorney's office said.
Jorge Suarez-Santiago, 33, pleaded to involuntary manslaughter, a second-degree felony, and endangering the welfare of a child, a first-degree felony, District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan said in a release.
Suarez-Santiago also pleaded guilty to simple possession of heroin in an unrelated case, Holihan said.
Suarez-Santiago faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced at 1:30 p.m. June 16.Lehigh County district attorney's office, in a release
He faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced at 1:30 p.m. June 16.
The release says Allentown Police were called to the St. Luke's Hospital, Sacred Heart, on April 5, 2021, for a report of a 22-month-old boy, Johansy Suarez-Rivas, who was not breathing.
The toddler was pronounced dead at the hospital "a short time after," from fentanyl toxicity, the release says, but a forensic pathologist said the boy died the morning or afternoon of the same day.
The amount of fentanyl in his heart blood was measured at 16.5 nanograms per millimeter, the release says.
'Disregarded the high risk'
An investigation determined that Suarez-Santiago, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Jayleen Rivas-Rodriguez, of Allentown, the child's mother, used heroin hours before their son was declared dead.
Suarez-Santiago was home with their son, while Rivas-Rodriguez left their 106 N. 8th St. apartment for several hours.
"Both Suarez-Santiago and Rivas-Rodriguez are the parents of the victim and had a duty of care, protection and support for their child."A release from Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan
"The Commonwealth alleges that Rivas-Rodriguez left their son in the care of Suarez-Santiago knowing that he was visibly intoxicated," the release says.
"Rivas-Rodriguez also provided Suarez-Santiago with what she believed to be heroin prior to leaving Johansy in his care that day."
She returned home to find their son unresponsive.
"Both Suarez-Santiago and Rivas-Rodriguez are the parents of the victim and had a duty of care, protection and support for their child," the release says.
The investigation found that Johansy was "exposed to and ingested a lethal dose of fentanyl" while under the care of his parents "who both consciously disregarded the high risk that their reckless use and handling of illegal narcotics was likely to cause death or serious bodily injury to their child."
Rivas-Rodriguez also was charged and pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child on Nov. 21, 2024. She also faces five to 20 years in prison.
Rivas-Rodriguez's sentencing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. May 5.
Allentown Police Detective Joseph Beiner and the Lehigh County Coroner's Office investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Holihan and Chief Deputy District Attorney Sara A. Moyer.
