A Monmouth County Grand Jury has issued an indictment against a 26-year-old woman, Quanique Smith, following her 2-year-old son’s drug overdose death earlier this year in Asbury Park. The announcement was made on Monday by Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago.
Smith faces several criminal charges. These include manstlaughter, child endangerment, possession of a controlled substance, and hindering apprehension.
If she is conviction of aggravated manslaughter, Smith could a maximum of 30 years in prison.
In January, members of the Asbury Park Police Department responded to an apartment on Langford Street after receiving a report of an unresponsive child shortly after 1 a.m. The child was rushed to a local hospital, but was pronounced dead before 2 a.m.
The Asbury Park Police Department and the Prosecutor’s Office conducted an investigation into the child’s death. They determined that Smith’s 2-year-old and 5-year-old children had access to heroin and fentanyl left in the family’s home.
The 2-year-old ingested the drugs, causing his death.
Smith was arrested later that day and transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI).