Fentanyl Crisis: Children Exposed
Karen Devine
COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – A tragic case in Desert Hot Springs is shining a spotlight on the growing danger of fentanyl — not just for users, but for the most vulnerable: children.
An I-Team investigation has uncovered two separate cases in the last two years where children under the age of four died from fentanyl exposure in Desert Hot Springs alone. One of those children was just two years old.
Nova Morreo was only two years old when she was found unresponsive in her home last year. Detectives say life-saving efforts were attempted, but it was too late.
“A call was placed, it was a 911 call from the home that a child was unresponsive. Our patrol team responded out there, and they attempted life-saving measures. However, the child had visible signs of death already,” said Detective Celia Romero of the Desert Hot Springs Police Department.
Nova’s mother, Crystal Monique Ward, and her boyfriend, Israel Contreras, were charged with felony child endangerment after toxicology reports revealed a substantial amount of fentanyl in the child’s system.
“A two-year-old did not obtain the drug themselves. What we know is that somebody brought it into the home or put it in a place where the child could have easily gotten to it,” added Romero.
Nova’s case is not the only one.
According to Desert Hot Springs detectives, this marks the second case in just two years where a child under the age of four has died due to fentanyl exposure.
“It’s a tragedy when anybody passes away, period. It’s even more tragic when someone passes away of a 100% preventable situation, and it’s even worse when it’s a child,” said Detective Sergeant Cory Carranza.
The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office is pursuing harsh penalties in fentanyl-related deaths. But fentanyl awareness advocates argue more accountability is needed.
“Less than 2% of all drug deaths result in the conviction of a drug dealer and we need to reverse that,” said Matt Capelouto, who lost his daughter Alexandra to fentanyl poisoning in 2019.
Capelouto successfully helped push for the prosecution of the man who sold his daughter the counterfeit pill. The dealer was sentenced to nine years in federal prison in 2022.
“Law enforcement has taken a strong stance. These drug dealers are very aware of it and they’re making conscious efforts to avoid dealing drugs in these areas,” Capelouto added.
California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 36 last year, allowing felony charges and increasing sentences for certain drug and theft crimes.
“People are realizing we’re serious about this. Now they’re going to jail, and they’re putting the word back out on the streets,” said Detective Sgt. Carranza.
Detectives emphasize that fentanyl use around children is especially dangerous and often fatal.
“Unfortunately, drug users are not cautious with their drugs. They are very irresponsible, and a lot of times they’re left out where children can mistakenly take a pill and mistake it for some candy,” said Detective Romero.
While Narcan, a medication that reverses opioid overdoses, is widely available, it’s not stopping usage — just the fatal overdoses.
“It’s not uncommon to see even unhoused people out in the streets who are fentanyl users have a whole bunch of Narcan with them,” Carranza noted.
Nova Morreo’s case is moving forward. Her mother and her mother’s boyfriend face up to six years in prison if convicted. They are expected back in court next month.
“I felt like we had closed a chapter for Nova — a chapter that needed to be closed. Somebody needed to go out there and seek justice for what happened to her,” said Detective Romero.
Fentanyl continues to take lives across California, but when children become the victims, law enforcement and community advocates are drawing a clear line: this is not an accident and there will be consequences.