Sentenced: 6YO Suffered A Fatal Overdose After Ingesting Fentanyl & Xylazine, Mom & Her BF Charged

[Sugar Cookie]

A Norristown woman and her boyfriend must answer to manslaughter charges after the woman’s 6-year-old son suffered a fatal overdose after ingesting fentanyl and xylazine.

Kristen Forrest Sabatino, 31, and Matthew Shane Santiago, 35, were held for trial after preliminary hearings recently before District Court Judge Todd N. Barnes on charges of involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the July 16, 2023, overdose death of 6-year-old Dominic Lyons.

Santiago remains in the county jail in lieu of $1 million cash bail and Sabatino remains in the county jail in lieu of $99,077 bail while awaiting their formal arraignment hearings in county court on Jan. 31.

The investigation began about 12:30 p.m. July 16 when Norristown police were dispatched to the Willow Street address for a report of a child who was unconscious and not breathing, according to a criminal complaint.

Arriving officers arrived at the home to find Sabatino performing chest compressions on her 6-year-old son on the floor of Dominic’s second floor bedroom. Police described the child as being cold to the touch with fluids draining from his mouth and nose and stiffening extremities, according to the arrest affidavit.

Santiago, who is Sabatino’s boyfriend, was also present at the scene, and the couple shares a 2-year-old daughter, according to court papers.

Detectives who processed the scene did not find any illicit drugs or drug paraphernalia at the home.

Tests performed during an autopsy found fentanyl and xylazine, a veterinary sedative known on the street as “Tranq,” in high levels in the child’s bloodstream, court documents indicate. Authorities alleged the amount of drugs found in the boy’s bloodstream indicated that the boy had ingested the drugs as that amount in his blood could not have been caused by trace contact with the drugs.

Dr. Khalil Wardak of the county Coroner’s Office determined the cause of Dominic’s death was drug intoxication from fentanyl and xylazine and ruled the death a homicide.

The investigation found that both Sabatino and Santiago had a history of drug use, according to court papers. Detectives alleged cellphone records and other investigative tools revealed that Sabatino and Santiago purchased and consumed illegal drugs in the days leading up to when the boy was found dead.

The defendants allegedly told detectives they put the child to bed at 7:30 p.m. July 15 when he said he did not feel well and found him dead in his bunk bed after noon the next day and immediately called 911.

Norristown woman and boyfriend held for trial on manslaughter charge after her child’s overdose death

A Norristown woman and her boyfriend must answer to manslaughter charges in Montgomery County Court after the woman’s 6-year-old son suffered a fatal overdose after ingesting fentanyl and xylazine.

www.pottsmerc.com

Of course there was a gofundme

"My dear sweet boy Dominic had a smile that would light up an entire room," wrote his grandmother Tina Pino on a GoFundMe page. "He was funny, goofy, loving, and always wanted to help."

Tina, Kristen's mother, is collecting donations to help her daughter pay for Dominic's funerary expenses, she said. The money will go toward "mitigating these financial obligations and providing some relief to his family during this heartbreaking time," the grandmother wrote.

Within three days of launch, the effort had already shattered its $10,000 fundraising goal to reach over $13,500.

In addition to his mother, father, and grandmother, Dominic is survived by six siblings, Gianna, Tyler, Christopher, Giovanni Lyons, Damian Vitale, and Selena Santiago, as well as his paternal grandmother Zakiyyah Lyons and maternal step-grandfather Gregory Bolton, his obit says.

"Kristen is devastated by the loss of her 'best friend.'"

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The complete total raised was $14,501.

Grandma had to know her daughter was a junkie - if she gave her the money I would nor be surprised if any of it went to drugs,

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Dominic Kyrie Lyons

 

[Future_Milf]

Absolutely disgusting. If people want to die a slow death, I'm all for it, but don't leave deadly substances around kids. He's 6, he's not going to think an unrecognized substance is bad, Jesus!

 

[Sugar Cookie]

A Norristown woman and her boyfriend who face manslaughter charges after the woman's 6-year-old son suffered a fatal overdose after ingesting fentanyl and xylazine told a judge they want separate trials.

Kristen Forrest Sabatino, 32, and Matthew Shane Santiago, 35, showed no emotion in a Montgomery County courtroom on Monday as their lawyers asked Judge Wendy G. Rothstein to sever their trials and allow separate juries to weigh evidence against them.

Currently, Sabatino and Santiago face a joint trial on Oct. 11 on charges of involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the July 16, 2023, overdose death of 6-year-old Dominic Lyons.

But defense lawyer Francis Genovese, who represents Santiago, and defense lawyer Scott Frame, who represents Sabatino, argued their clients would "suffer unfair prejudice and irreparable harm" should the cases proceed to a joint trial.

Genovese argued that Santiago "would be unfairly prejudiced" by proceeding to trial with Sabatino, as she has given numerous statements to detectives "which clearly and unequivocally implicate" Santiago in causing the child's death. Genovese argued that if Sabatino's statements were admitted at trial, then it would violate Santiago's constitutional right to confront and cross-examine his accusers.

Deputy District Attorney Brianna L. Ringwood opposed the defense requests for separate trials.

"Only in a joint trial of both defendants would a jury be in the best position to assess the relative culpability of each," Ringwood argued, adding in court papers that two lengthy trials would be costly, time-consuming and require prosecutors to offer the same evidence twice against each defendant.

Ringwood and co-prosecutor Gwendolyn Kull maintained separate trials "would create a risk of confusion for the jury" because it would mean Sabatino would be tried without the person accused of conspiring to bring her illicit substances. Conversely, Santiago would be tried "without the person whose prior history led to his own knowledge and awareness of the risks of substance use around children," Ringwood and Kull argued.

Judge Rothstein took the defense request to sever the trials under advisement and will issue a ruling at a later date.

MSN

 

[BuffettGirl]

Just 'cause we're guilty AF doesn't mean we want to look guilty AF...

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Emotions boiled over in a Montgomery County courtroom when the father of a little boy who suffered a fatal drug overdose confronted the Norristown man who admitted his drug activity played a role in the child's death.

"Look at me, you know what you did," the child's father bellowed at Matthew Shane Santiago, seated at the defense table, after Santiago pleaded guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of children and conspiracy to possess drugs in connection with the July 16, 2023, overdose death of 6-year-old Dominic Lyons.

Dominic was the son of Santiago's girlfriend, Kristen Forrest Sabatino, 32, who is facing an Oct. 11 trial on identical charges in connection with her son's death.

"They know exactly what they did," the child's biological father continued to address Santiago during his victim impact testimony. "Nobody gave Dominic a fighting chance. Because of what they were doing, now he's not here."

Santiago coldly responded to the boy's father, "You weren't even in his life."

Hearing Santiago's response, an uncle of Dominic, seated in the courtroom gallery, stood up and charged in the direction of the defense table where Santiago was seated.

Sheriff's deputies reacted swiftly, quelling the tense situation by surrounding the uncle to control him and remove him from the courtroom. Deputies also quickly ushered Santiago from the courtroom and were able to calm the situation.

"I feel like s—. Nothing's going to bring Dominic back, there ain't no justice here, nothing's going to bring him back," Santiago said to a reporter as he was ushered from the courtroom, claiming he loved Dominic like a son.

When the hearing resumed, Judge Wendy G. Rothstein, accepting a plea agreement in the case, sentenced Santiago to 2 to 5 years in prison on the charges. With a consecutive five years of probation, Santiago will be under court supervision for a total of 10 years.

MSN

 

[Sugar Cookie]

A Norristown woman has joined her former boyfriend in prison for her role in the death of her 6-year-old son who suffered a fatal overdose after ingesting fentanyl and xylazine.

Kristen Forrest Sabatino, 32, was sentenced to 2 1/2 to 5 years in the State Correctional Institution at Muncy after she pleaded guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child and conspiracy to possess drugs in connection with the July 16, 2023, overdose death of 6-year-old Dominic Lyons.

Judge Wendy G. Rothstein, who accepted a plea agreement in the case, also ordered Sabatino to complete 5 years of probation following parole, meaning Sabatino will be under court supervision for 10 years.

Sabatino's guilty plea came several weeks after her former boyfriend, Matthew Shane Santiago, who lived with Sabatino at the Willow Street address, was sentenced to 2 to 5 years in prison and 5 years of probation, for a total of 10 years of court supervision. Santiago also pleaded guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of children and conspiracy to possess drugs in connection with the child's death.

MSN