A New York state grandmother and her boyfriend have been indicted in the death of a toddler who ingested fentanyl more than a year ago in Syracuse.
Onandaga County Assistant District Attorney Jarrett Wooffork told WSTM that Natasha Gregory, who also goes by Natasha Newton, and Curtis Rouse had been indicted on charges of criminal negligent homicide and endangering the welfare of a child in the April 26, 2023, death of 2-year-old Mehlaya Blue.
The toddler’s mother had dropped the girl off at her grandmother’s house the night before. The next morning, Rouse found the child with blood coming from her nose and mouth. The took the girl to the hospital, but she was pronounced dead later that day.
The toddler was also found with bruises on the face and back, which Rouse explained by saying she was hurt playing outside. Surveillance footage, however, showed that the toddler was not outside while she was in the care of her grandmother and the boyfriend and that Rouse had left the child completely alone for near 30 minutes while the grandmother was at work.
The prosecutor announced the indictments on Wednesday, Syracuse.com reported, and said Newton and Rouse had not yet been arraigned. The indictments will remain sealed until they are, he said.
It’s not clear why it took more than 15 months to bring formal charges.
Rouse’s initial stories were that a dog knocked Blue into landscaping bricks outside and later that she fell off her scooter. But the video didn’t show the girl leaving, while it did show Rouse leaving her alone at the home.
An autopsy found the girl died from a drug overdose, but officials have not said how they girl got the drugs or the injuries she had.
Newton and Rouse were arrested for possession a “ghost gun” found during a search on their home during the death investigation. Newton made bail on the gun charge, but Rouse is still behind bars with a $50,000 bond.
Both had previous convictions that made it illegal for them to possess a gun, especially an illegal gun.
