A 32-year-old Ocean County woman has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child following the death of her two-year-old daughter, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced Wednesday.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, Jenna O’Connor was charged in connection with an incident that began on July 17, when law enforcement responded to a report of a critically ill child at Community Medical Center in Toms River.
The child, a two-year-old female, was later airlifted to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick for further treatment. She passed away last Thursday. Hospital tests conducted during her treatment revealed the presence of methadone in her system.
An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, the Special Victims Unit, and the Ocean Gate Police Department Detective Bureau determined that O’Connor was the child’s primary caregiver. Authorities said O’Connor called 911 last Thursday morning after finding the child unresponsive in her crib. Investigators also determined that the child had access to methadone in the home.
O’Connor was taken into custody without incident and is currently being held at the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.
“The death of this baby is tragic,” Prosecutor Billhimer said in a statement. “The investigation remains active and ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming.”