NEWFIELD — A Newfield man has been arrested following a Tompkins County Grand Jury indictment in connection with a 4-year-old child’s fentanyl death.
On Sept. 8, troopers arrested Justin M. Fenton, 31, of Newfield.
He has been charged with manslaughter in the second degree, a class C felony; criminally negligent homicide, a class E felony; and tampering with physical evidence, a class E felony.
On June 30, 2024, New York State Police at Ithaca were dispatched by the Tompkins County 911 Center for a report of an unconscious 4-year-old child not breathing and suffering from cardiac arrest at a residence on South Way in the town of Newfield.
The child was transported to Cayuga Medical Center where he was later pronounced deceased.
After an autopsy, the toxicology report determined that the 4-year-old’s death was caused by fentanyl toxicity.
The investigation revealed that Fenton’s drug use at the time recklessly exposed the child to a lethal dose of fentanyl, causing his death.
On Sept. 4, a grand jury indicted Fenton on the charges and an arrest warrant was issued.
Fenton was located on Sept. 8 and transported to State Police Ithaca where he was processed then turned over to the Tompkins County Jail.
