Parents Charged In Child’s Suspected Fentanyl Death At NYC Shelter

BROOKLYN, NY — The parents of a 4-year-old boy who died at a Brooklyn shelter on Tuesday have been charged in connection to the incident, police said.

Miriam Elkayam, 26, and Witzchok Sklar, 32, have been both charged with abandonment of a child and criminal possession of a controlled substance.

The parents are expected to be arraigned on Thursday.

Police responded to the Women in Need Inc. shelter in Flatbush around 8 a.m. on Tuesday and found the boy unresponsive and experiencing a medical episode.

The 4-year-old was transported to Maimonides Hospital in critical condition, where he was later pronounced dead, police said.

An initial autopsy from the city's medical examiner determined the 4-year-old's death may have been a viral infection.

Officials are waiting on toxicology results to determine if the child was exposed to any drugs, according to reports from theNew York Daily News and FOX5 NY.

According to multiple media reports, EMS administrated Narcan to the boy before taking him to the hospital, and police recovered drugs from the scene.

The mother and father of the boy allegedly admitted to ingesting fentanyl near the child.

The boy's identity has not been released as of Thursday afternoon.

Following the incident, a spokesperson for Win, a nonprofit that runs the Brooklyn shelter, released this statement:

“Win is devastated by the tragic death of this innocent child who came to reside with us in one of our shelters. We are working closely with the NYPD to support their ongoing investigation," the statement read. "We remain committed as ever to fostering a safe and supportive environment for all families that call a Win shelter home.”

This is a developing story. This post may be updated.