A Cobb County mother who was charged with murder in the 2023 fentanyl death of her 2-year-old son pleaded guilty ahead of her trial and was sentenced to five decades in prison.
Jocelyn Romero initially told authorities her toddler choked on a piece of raisin bread just before bed, according to her warrant. She said she gave him water and said he seemed fine before she dozed off while watching a show on her cellphone.
But prosecutors said Jeziel Romero was unconscious and “cold to the touch” the night of Dec. 4, 2023, when his mother took him to Northside Hospital.
Investigators later said the boy’s blood tested positive for the synthetic opioid fentanyl, and that the drug was discovered inside their Smyrna home.
Romero and her boyfriend, Pablo Calihua Garcia, were accused of trafficking large quantities of both methamphetamine and fentanyl in the weeks leading up to the child’s death, according to the pair’s indictment.
Romero entered a non-negotiated guilty plea to second-degree murder and other charges Monday, just before jury selection was set to begin, court records show. The 22-year-old also pleaded guilty to trafficking methamphetamine, two counts of trafficking fentanyl and illegal use of a communication facility, which is a drug-related charge.
Cobb prosecutors said a search of Romero’s phone revealed hundreds of photos, videos and texts documenting her “heavy involvement” in drug trafficking.
At one point, she had more than 6,000 fentanyl pills and dozens of kilos of methamphetamine inside the home, according to the Cobb District Attorney’s Office. Authorities also said the woman regularly took her son to drug transactions to avoid the police.
Superior Court Judge Vic Reynolds sentenced Romero to 75 years, with 50 to serve behind bars and the remainder on probation.
Garcia, who faced drug trafficking charges but not murder, also pleaded guilty. He was out of state at the time of the boy’s death, but he was sentenced Monday to 60 years, including 30 to serve in custody and the balance on probation.
Fentanyl can be mixed with other drugs such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, often unbeknownst to the person consuming it. In recent years, the drug has contributed to a dramatic rise in U.S. overdose deaths, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
District Attorney Sonya Allen said the death was “completely preventable.”
“A mother’s first duty is to protect her child, not place them in harm’s way,” Allen said in a statement. “By bringing deadly fentanyl and other dangerous and illicit drugs into her home, she showed a devastating disregard for her baby’s life.”
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