NEW YORK – A six-year-old Bronx boy died after his father gave him methadone, believing the liquid was cough medicine.
The boy's mother, 36-year-old Raquel DeLeon, hid her methadone inside a DayQuil bottle in their apartment on East 147th Street in the south Bronx.
On Saturday, when Carlos Rios Jr. fell ill, his father gave him a teaspoon of the liquid, believing it was cough medicine, police said.
Soon after taking the dose, the boy complained of dizziness. His father told him to lie down, but grew concerned after his son became unresponsive.
The father immediately called 911 and medics rushed the child to Lincoln Hospital. He was later transferred to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, where he died.
On Thursday, police arrested DeLeon, who has two prior drug busts, and charged her with reckless endangerment.
It is unclear whether any other children reside at the home.
