PALMDALE, Calif. (KABC) — A young mother is facing murder charges in the death of her 2-year-old son who died by ingesting fentanyl in 2023 in Palmdale.
The child’s mother, 23-year-old Anaie Flores, was arrested for murder last Thursday.
Flores faced a judge Monday to be arraigned, but there was no plea and the arraignment was postponed Oct. 28. She is being held on $2 million bail.
Deputies responded to a death investigation on Nov. 7, 2023 in the 800 block of East Avenue P-15 in Palmdale involving the death of a 2-year-old boy, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Investigators determined the child’s death was caused by fentanyl ingestion.
Family members told Eyewitness News at the time of the tragedy that Angel had fallen asleep next to his mother. When she woke up, they said she noticed her child wasn’t breathing.
Paramedics rushed the 2-year-old to the hospital, but it was too late. Video from that day shows Flores wrapped in a blanket outside the home in tears.
After an exhaustive investigation, detectives set their sights on Flores as their murder suspect and ultimately arrested her last Thursday, almost two years after the child’s death.
Prosecutors said traces of fentanyl were discovered throughout the mother’s home and they blame her for the child somehow fatally ingesting it.
Family members in court Monday were too distraught to speak to Eyewitness News, but the child’s grandmother did speak soon after the tragedy in 2023.
“When she wake up the baby was already dead…it was like purple. That’s what she told me what happened,” said Zulma Flores. “I can’t believe it what happened… I’m hurt.”
Flores remains behind bars with her bail set at $2 million. Arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 28.