Dutchess County Man Arrested In Fentanyl Intoxication Death Of 10-Month-Old Child: NYSP

WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY — A Hudson Valley man has been arrested in connection to the death of a baby, that occurred nearly five years ago.

The New York State Police say that the Bureau of Criminal Investigation at Wappinger has arrested 41-year-old Thomas E. Martinez, of Wappingers Falls, following a five-year homicide investigation.

On Nov. 9, 2020, at 6:09 p.m., troopers were dispatched by Dutchess County 911 to a home on Creekview Court, in the Village of Wappingers Falls, after state police received a report of an unconscious 10-month-old child.

The child was taken by EMS to Vassar Brothers Medical Center, where the baby was pronounced dead. An autopsy conducted by the Dutchess County Medical Examiner's Office determined the cause of death to be acute fentanyl intoxication.

After a five-year-long investigation, in conjunction with the Dutchess County District Attorney's Office, the child's father, Martinez, who was responsible for the child's care at the time of the incident, has been arrested and charged with felony criminally negligent homicide, according to NYSP.

Martinez was arraigned on Tuesday before the Village of Wappingers Falls Court, and is scheduled to reappear on January 6.

The New York State Police acknowledged the assistance of the Dutchess County District Attorney's Office and the Dutchess County Medical Examiner's Office throughout the course of the investigation.