Christina Huntspon: Missouri mom charged after daughter, 4, dies in father's bed due to heroin exposure
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI: Christina Huntspon, a mother from St Louis, has been charged with the death of her four-year-old daughter. Sanaa Riggins, 4, was found unresponsive at her father's house on Saturday, March 16 shortly after 6.20 pm local time.
After being taken to St Louis Children's Hospital, she was declared dead shortly before 7.30 pm.
Christina Huntspon was severely drug-addicted
According to local news outlet KSDK, police said that their preliminary investigation showed that Riggins had died of a drug overdose after being exposed to heroin, which was discovered close to the father's bed where she was.
Since no one else would have brought drugs into the house earlier on Saturday, March 16, Huntspon, Riggins' mother, told police that her daughter was most likely killed by her severe drug addiction, according to the outlet.
Riggins had been living with her father, who was given legal custody of her, due to Huntspon's drug addiction.
According to Fox 2 Now, the child's father did not exhibit any signs of drug use. It was also mentioned by investigators to the outlet that Riggins was born under the influence of prescription drugs.
Huntspon, 32, is presently being held on a $500,000 bond after being charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death, according to Fox 2 Now.
DEA investigating changing trends in heroin use
Drug Enforcement Administration Agent in Charge Michael Davis of the St Louis Division assists in researching illicit drug trends in the Metro area.
He claimed that heroin use has been dropping for many years. However, it's currently popular practice to combine heroin with other lethal substances, such as fentanyl. He has also researched the ways that cocaine and fentanyl are combined, KSDK reported.
"Heroin has been almost replaced completely with fentanyl, another opioid, and in this case, I'm almost certain that heroin alone is not the cause of the death. It's more than likely going to be heroin and fentanyl," Davis said.
According to Davis, the tragedy highlights a more serious problem. "This shows just how these illicit drugs can affect the whole family. Just because one person is doing it it affects the whole family in different ways and unfortunately, this one resulted in a 4-year-old dying," Davis said.
Detectives from the St Louis County Police Department's Bureau of Crimes Against Persons are conducting the investigation.
In the St Louis and Missouri area, PreventEd has been the voice of reason when it comes to alcohol and other drugs for more than 50 years. The organization strives to decrease the stigma attached to addiction while providing support.
They provide free counseling, free naloxone and overdose prevention training, and free Narcan through their vending machine, among many other resources.
