A California man is mourning the loss of his 17-month-old son, blaming the baby’s mother as well as Child Protective Services (CPS) for allegedly letting him overdose on fentanyl.
Montise Bulley’s son, Justin, died Sunday at his mother’s home in Lancaster, located in northern Los Angeles County, reports ABC7.
While the county’s sheriff’s office has yet to formally determine the cause of death, the heartbroken father said it was due to fentanyl.
“Man, I’m sick, and I’m miserable, and I’m emotional right now. I want justice for my baby,” Bulley told the outlet, claiming Justin “had an overdose.”
“He swallowed a piece of fentanyl that was left carelessly around the house.”
Bulley said he will never forget receiving that traumatic call.
“My son is dead. [Justin’s mother was] talking about she held him in her arms trying to give him mouth to mouth and kissing him,” he told the local station. “Now he dead in the morgue.”
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What causes him the most anguish is that he previously tried and failed to gain custody of his son. Despite fighting for Justin, Bulley says the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) decided to only grant him visitation rights.
“Enough pain already, oh Lord. The whole system failed me. I’m blaming DCFS. They are the nucleus of this,” he said, adding that he also blames himself for not working hard enough to get custody.
DCFS released a statement in response to the deaths of Justin and another Lancaster toddler who was killed in a separate domestic incident:
As an agency devoted to the safety and well-being of children, we at the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services were profoundly saddened to learn of the recent deaths of two Antelope Valley children in separate incidents.
While we recognize the public’s concern for children who have been injured or whose lives have been tragically lost, we are bound by state confidentiality laws that prevent us from discussing potential involvement with families. These laws are in place to shield children and families from further emotional distress while delicate family matters are addressed.
On Tuesday, a North Carolina father turned himself in to the Laurens Police Department after his one-year-old overdosed on fentanyl, Breitbart News reported.
Tyrist Johnson had an outstanding warrant for fentanyl possession and initially fled the scene but gave himself up on Tuesday. Thankfully, officials confirmed that the baby recovered in the hospital.