Brentwood Man Arrested After Infant Suffers Alleged Fentanyl Poisoning; Released Pending Further Proceedings

BRENTWOOD, N.Y. – A 21-year-old Brentwood man was charged after prosecutors say an eight-month-old girl in his care suffered serious respiratory distress from alleged exposure to fentanyl. The incident has prompted Suffolk County authorities to renew warnings about the risks of the powerful opioid around children.

According to a press release by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the defendant, identified as Henry Martinez, was arrested in connection with an incident on November 12 in which the infant became unresponsive at around 11:05 a.m. The baby’s caretaker placed a 911 call reporting that the girl was not breathing, and emergency responders found the child in acute respiratory distress.

Paramedics transported the infant to the hospital where she received an administration of naloxone (Narcan) to counter suspected opioid poisoning, prosecutors say. Her skin had turned blue from lack of oxygen prior to treatment.

Investigators allege that while the child was on a bed in the defendant’s bedroom, Martinez snorted fentanyl powder through a plastic straw. Police say he did so with the infant in the immediate vicinity and later resumed lying next to her while still holding the straw containing fentanyl residue.

A search warrant executed at the home reportedly uncovered additional evidence including fentanyl residue, four digital scales, packaging material, and a cellphone believed to have been used to purchase the drug.

Martinez has been charged with second-degree assault, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal use of drug paraphernalia, and endangering the welfare of a child. The grand jury indictment was returned following the investigation by the District Attorney’s Office.

In announcing the case, DA Raymond A. Tierney emphasized the particularly grave nature of exposing an infant to fentanyl, calling it a “shocking disregard for the safety and welfare of a vulnerable child.”

The suspect was arraigned on November 13 before District Court Judge Eric Sachs, according to reporting. Prosecutors asked for bail set at $300,000 cash or $600,000 bond; instead the judge released Martinez under supervised release pending further court proceedings. The defendant is due back in court November 24. If convicted on the top count, he faces up to seven years in prison.

This case continues a troubling pattern in Suffolk County of infants and young children being exposed to potent opioids. In one recent example, a man in Lake Grove was sentenced to five and a half years after his infant child suffered a fentanyl-linked overdose, according to the DA’s office.

Officials say the narrower exposures – in homes, vehicles or other settings – often show how fentanyl’s extreme potency magnifies risk not only for intended users, but for bystanders, especially children. “The dangers of fentanyl are evident in what we see every day,” said Kevin Catalina, the Suffolk County Police Commissioner.

The DA’s office is asking any other families who suspect a child may have been exposed to this drug to immediately contact the Special Victims Section of the Suffolk County Police Department.

The defendant remains free pending supervision, and the legal process will determine whether the case proceeds to trial. Meanwhile, investigators say they will continue to monitor related cases and coordinate with health providers to track young-child exposure to fentanyl.