Mother gets probation after baby nearly dies from fentanyl exposure in Boca Raton

BOCA RATON, Fla. (CBS12) — A mother will serve three years' probation after her seven-month-old baby ingested fentanyl and nearly died.

The sentence was handed down during a Wednesday morning court hearing where Gekia Hunter, 27, pleaded guilty to neglect of a child causing great bodily harm. During the same hearing, prosecutors opted not to pursue a second possession of fentanyl charge. Hunter also received nine days of jail time, which she already served, and was ordered to pay $1,021 in court fees.

The court documents state that while on probation Hunter must complete substance abuse evaluations, must not be in possession of alcohol or drugs without a valid prescription, and contact with the child must be guided by the Department of Children and Family Services. Court records also say she must complete a parenting course. After taking the plea and handing down the verdict, the court withheld adjudicating her case at this time.

The incident goes back to March 2023 at the Boca Inn on N. Federal Highway. The Boca Raton Police Department responded to a 911 about a seven-month-old baby who was exposed to a narcotic, stopped breathing and went into cardiac arrest. Hunter is the one who called 911.

Fire crews performed life-saving measures at the scene and the baby regained a slight pulse, previous reports say. Doctors were able to revive the baby boy after giving him Narcan at the Boca Raton Regional Medical Center.

While speaking with investigators Hunter told police that she had put the baby down for a nap. It was a short time later she noticed the baby was making gargling noises. Reports say she tried to wake the baby up, but she couldn't. That's when she picked up the phone to call 911.

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After law enforcement searched the hotel room, they reported finding a white-like substance that tested positive for Butyryl fentanyl in a dresser drawer. Police also found straws that contained a white residue inside, according to the report.

Police questioned Bianley Jolicoeur, now 28, who denied any knowledge of drugs being in the hotel room. However, after police shared what they found, he confessed the straws were his. The report says he admitted to using the straws to snort narcotics but denied doing it on the night of the incident.

Hunter, at first, also denied using drugs, but her story changed when police revealed what they had found. Hunter confessed to the drugs being in the hotel room and also using one of the straws to snort heroin off a napkin with Jolicoeur.

Surveillance video recovered from the Boca Inn showed Hunter throwing out a bag of trash before fire rescue crews arrived.Inside the trash, police found empty clear capsules with a white residue believed to be fentanyl, a clear straw with a white residue believed to be fentanyl.

Hunter and Jolicoeur were arrested at the hospital where police found 5.2 grams of fentanyl in a clear plastic bag in the baby diaper bag at the hospital.

Jolicoeur was booked for child neglect causing great bodily injury and possession of fentanyl.