Cobb Co. mother charged after her 2-year-old son died with fentanyl in his system

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Cobb County mother is at the center of a homicide investigation after her 2-year-old son died with fentanyl in his bloodstream.

Jocelyn Romero told doctors that her son “silently choked on a piece of bread” as he slept next to her.

She said she woke up and he seemed fine until she left the room for a brief moment.

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Investigators say the toxicology report tells a different story.

One month before the boy’s death, Homeland Security agents raided Romero’s home in Kenwood Creek Apartments and seized fentanyl and nearly 30 grams of cocaine.

Romero was charged with trafficking drugs and reckless conduct after agents discovered her toddler was living in the apartment and had direct access to deadly drugs.

Romero’s apartment is just a few feet away from the complex’s playground.

“That’s umm, it’s really kind of hard to hear, really. Having a 3-year-old that just turned three,” neighbor Brianna Lee told Channel 2′s Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell. “She wasn’t caring for the child. If you got raided for drugs you weren’t caring for that child in no way, shape, or form.”

“Drugs shouldn’t be in any neighborhood or any apartment or any home for that matter,” neighbor Endio Olive said.

Newell contacted the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services to learn why Romero had custody of her son after she was charged with trafficking drugs out of her home.

They issued the following statement:

“DHS/DFCS is bound by both state and federal law to protect the privacy of the people we serve. As such, we are unable to comment on the specifics of any reported abuse or neglect cases. We take seriously every report that might be made to the agency and work with law enforcement when appropriate to ensure the safety of Georgia’s children.”

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