Ocala, FL: The Marion County Sheriff’s Office says that two parents were arrested after their 15-month-old child was found dead from a drug accident.
Daltin Miller, the baby, was discovered dead on March 1 in an Ocala home on 28th Lane. According to more research, the baby overdosed after eating fentanyl, methamphetamine, and xylazine, which is a horse tranquilizer also known as “tranq” and is often mixed with fentanyl to make it work better, Lt. Paul Bloom said at a news conference on Thursday morning.
Detectives have charged Daniel Miller, 48, and Kelli Starling, 37, with severe child manslaughter and murder in the death of Daltin. The Marion County Jail took them in on Wednesday night. Bloom says Miller is also being charged with having fentanyl on him because he was found with some in his pocket.
Birth tests showed drugs in the baby, so his parents temporarily lost custody, Bloom said. But Miller got control of the child again on February 9, about a month before the child died. Under this custody plan, Bloom said Starling could not go back to the house because she was still using drugs.
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Right now, it’s still not clear why the child was given back to his father. Bloom said that was the job of the Department of Children and Families.
Bloom says that Starling went back to the house on February 27 despite this order. After three days, Daltin Miller, 15 months, was found in their bedroom not responding. Fentanyl and other drug tools were found nearby.
Bloom said the parents did call 911 to say their baby wasn’t still.
Bloom said that the Medical Examiner’s Office found methamphetamine, fentanyl, and xylazine in the toddler’s blood and liver. This means that the child ate the drugs and then died.
They were both arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail on Wednesday night. Both of the parents have a long background of crime in Marion County.
Recent arrest records show that Starling has been in jail 16 times for drug possession, aggravated battery, attempted vehicular murder, and other drug-related offenses. Among Miller’s many charges from the mid-1990s in Marion County are possession of crack cocaine and other drugs, grand theft, driving with a suspended license, retail petit theft, battery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and fraudulent use of a credit card.
They are still in the Marion County Jail without bond.
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