Boy, 4, dies after possible fentanyl exposure in NYC shelter — despite emergency workers administering Narcan: sources
A 4-year-old boy died after possible fentanyl exposure inside a Brooklyn shelter – and both parents were busted on child endangerment and drug possession charges as cops continue to investigate, sources said.
The young boy was unresponsive, foaming at the mouth and had pinpoint pupils when first responders arrived at the Women In Need shelter on Glenwood Road near East 46th Street in Flatbush just after 8 a.m. Tuesday, according to cops and a criminal complaint.
Workers from the volunteer ambulance service Hatzolah administered Narcan to the unconscious, unresponsive boy, who also had bruising on the right side of his stomach, according to law enforcement sources.
Hatzolah members asked the boy’s parents if any drugs were kept in the home, and his dad, 32-year-old Yitzchok Sklar, replied that there was fentanyl, according to a criminal complaint.
When asked what form the drugs were in, Sklar allegedly replied, “Rock,” the complaint charges.
The volunteer EMTs then called 911 and rushed the boy to Maimonides Medical Center, where he was initially listed in critical condition and died that night, according to the sources.
Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators shows Sklar leaving the home toting a black fanny pack, which he placed inside a white BMW X5, according to the court doc.
A detective later found a vial containing a white powdery rock from inside a black fanny pack placed on the front passenger seat of the BMW, the complaint states.
Sklar and the boy’s mother, Miriam Elkayam, 26, were both arrested and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and endangering the welfare of a child, according to the complaint.
Both were granted supervised release during their arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court.
It was not immediately clear Thursday whether the boy’s death was related to drug exposure, or whether he had suffered a brain infection, sources said.
The youngster was chronically sick, according to the sources.
