A Fremont woman has been arrested on suspicion of homicide following the death of her 23-month-old boy, who reportedly had a high level of fentanyl in his system at the time of his passing, police said Tuesday.
The woman arrested is 26-year-old Sophia Gastelum-Vera.
Fremont police officers responded around 8:30 am. Oct. 18 to a hospital based on reports that a child was not breathing and unresponsive. He had reportedly been brought to the emergency room by Gastelum-Vera and other family members.
The child later died.
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Detectives from the department’s Crimes Against Person(s) Unit investigated the death, eventually revealing that “the victim was initially found unresponsive on the morning of October 18, 2023, inside the bedroom he shared with his mother at the family residence on the 4300 block of Gina St. in Fremont,” according to a news release from Fremont Police Department.
Detectives conducted interviews and obtained a search warrant for the residence.
“During the search, Fremont PD Crime Scene Investigators located pieces of evidence (including items associated with illicit drug use) within the same bedroom that Gastelum-Vera and the child shared. Later, laboratory tests conducted on those items revealed the presence of fentanyl,” the news release continues. “Electronic communication devices located in Gastelum-Vera’s room revealed recent communications regarding fentanyl use and possession. Toxicology results confirmed the decedent had a high level of fentanyl in his system at the time of death.”
Gastelum-Vera was arrested on Nov. 7 and booked into custody at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.
The case is still under investigation. Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact Detective Ryan Blanchet at 510-790-6900 or at rblanchet@fremont.gov.
