Bucks Co. Father Wanted In Infant's Fentanyl Overdose Death: Cops

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — Bensalem Police are searching for a father who has been charged in the overdose death of his infant son in January, authorities said.

Daniel Howarth, along with his son's mother, Felicity Westmoreland, was charged with involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is currently wanted on an active warrant.

The baby's grandmother, Donna Westmoreland, was appointed as the baby's foster mother and was also charged.

Police arrived at a home on Oak Avenue in Trevose on Jan. 7 after receiving a report of an infant in cardiac arrest. The 4-month-old was found unresponsive in the living room of the home, where police and EMS attempted life-saving measures. After being transported to St. Mary’s Hospital in Langhorne, he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy of the infant revealed the presence of fentanyl in the child’s blood. Police said they found the home to be in disarray with clothes, with trash and old food scattered throughout when they arrived.

While investigating the death, police discovered numerous drug baggies, syringes, and a tourniquet commonly used for drug injection. Those items tested positive for the presence of fentanyl and cocaine.

Police said the Bucks County Juvenile Dependency Court had issued a Shelter Care Order, which prohibited Donna Westmoreland from leaving the infant unsupervised with the parents. She later admitted to Bensalem Detectives that she left the infant unsupervised with his parents on the day of the infant’s death, in violation of the Shelter Care Order. She was charged with child endangerment and arraigned by District Justice Joseph Falcone on March 16. She was later sent to the Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10% of $150,000 in bail.

District Justice Falcone also arraigned Felicity Westmoreland on March 17 and remanded her to Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10% of $10 million in bail.

Anyone with information on Howarth's whereabouts is asked to contact the Bensalem Police Department at 215-633-3719. They can also submit an anonymous tip on the police department's CrimeWatch website.