Texas trio leave baby girl gasping for air after blowing fentanyl smoke in infant's face to silence her cries

TAYLOR COUNTY, TEXAS: Robert Mason, 33, Jennifer Trevino, 32, and Aracely Rocha, 22, have been arrested on charges of child endangerment after authorities allegedly found fentanyl concealed in a baby's diaper bag.

Investigators claim that fentanyl smoke had been intentionally blown into the face of a 19-month-old infant in an appalling attempt to silence her cries. After the alleged incident, the infant had trouble breathing and was hospitalized, authorities say. 

What are the charges against the Texas trio?

The Taylor County Sheriff's Office is currently holding Mason, Trevino, and Rocha, each facing four counts of second-degree felony child endangerment. The arrests follow an initial encounter on January 25 when the trio was pulled over for alleged littering in front of the Frontier Inn & Suites in Abilene, where they were staying.

Upon searching for the vehicle, the Taylor County Narcotics Division reportedly discovered fentanyl not only in the car but also within the infant's diaper bag. "A probable cause search of the vehicle revealed 56 fentanyl pills and multiple items of drug paraphernalia commonly used for smoking fentanyl," an arrest affidavit stated.

Texas trio smoked fentanyl in front of children

Further investigations led authorities to the twisted trio's hotel room at the Frontier Inn & Suites, where they uncovered unsettling living conditions. Four children and four adults were found residing in the hotel, with interviews revealing disturbing details about drug use in the presence of children, reported People.

"Interviews revealed three of the four adults were actively involved in smoking fentanyl in the presence of the children for at least the last two days," according to the affidavit. "Interviews also revealed the adults had knowledge of at least one of the adults blowing fentanyl smoke into the face of the infant to get the child to stop crying," the document further read.

Due to the distressing incident, the infant experienced difficulty breathing and was promptly taken to a nearby hospital alongside the other three children. The suspects, Mason, Trevino, and Rocha, were transported to the Taylor County Sheriff's Office and are currently held on a $100,000 bond each. Mason is additionally facing a charge of obstruction/retaliation.