A Pennsylvania man was arrested after his 4-year-old son died from a fentanyl overdose, reports said.
Van Marcus Redding, 36, was charged this week in the accidental death of Avant Redding, who died in May while in his father’s care in Carnegie. Redding was slapped with involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment and a drug charge, according to reports.
The circumstances of how the kid ingested the dangerous drug weren’t clear.
Redding picked up his son on May 7 at 1 p.m. and took him to a family birthday party before they stopped at McDonald’s to pick up dinner, according to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
After young Avant ate the Happy Meal, he threw up and seemed “unsteady on his feet,” Redding told police, the Post-Gazette said.
He took the boy to the hospital, but got in a car accident on the way – later telling police that the child was ill when he was questioned by police over the accident, according to the newspaper.
The child was dead on arrival at St. Clair Hospital, WTAE reported.
Police searched Redding’s house and found a baggie of white powder he told police he sold from his home and cash, the Post-Gazette said.
Avant was later found to have died from fentanyl toxicity, according to WTAE.
The accused was denied bail and is due back in court Friday, the Post-Gazette said.
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