A Fort Lee woman is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and related crimes following the fatal overdose of a 12-year-old girl, according to a news statement.
The girl died Saturday after authorities found her unresponsive at a home on Maple Street in Fort Lee, according to the statement from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.
Police were called to the home at 3:34 p.m. and the girl was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, the release says.
Frances Caso, 48, has been charged with endangering the welfare of children, drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, the prosecutor’s office said.
Caso and three juveniles in addition to the victim were in the home at the time of the overdose, the statement says. Police found drug paraphernalia and multiple drugs in the home, it says.
The prosecutor’s office did not say if there was an relationship between Caso and the girl, and did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
“The investigation into the fatal dose of narcotics ingested by the victim is ongoing. No additional information will be released while the investigation remains underway,” the statement says.
A phone number listed for Caso was “unable to receive” a call, according to an automated message. No one answered a call placed on another number listed for Caso. She couldn’t be reached for comment.
The case was sent to the Bergen County Jail for a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack, the statement says.
Detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, Narcotic Task Force, and Special Victims Unit conducted a joint investigation with the Fort Lee Police Department into the child’s death and the related drug crimes, the statement says.
Caso is charged with one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, three counts of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of third-degree drug possession, and one count of fourth-degree possession of drug paraphernalia.
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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com.
