Hudson Valley Father Sentenced After Tragic Death Of 10-Month-Old

A Hudson Valley father who confessed to his role in the death of his baby girl has learned his fate.

The 10-month-old child was found unconscious at a home on Creekview Court in Wappinger Falls in late 2020.

Wappingers Falls, New York Father Pleads Guilty

An autopsy determined the child's death was acute fentanyl intoxication.

The child's father, 41-year-old Thomas Martinez of Wappingers Falls, was arrested last year after an "extensive five-year investigation. Last month, he pleaded guilty to Criminally Negligent Homicide in Dutchess County Court.

"A 10-month-old child lost her life because the defendant failed to take the most basic precautions to protect her from exposure to fentanyl. Although this case remained unresolved for years, my Office and the New York State Police were committed to ensuring it moved forward so that accountability would not be denied simply because time had passed," Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Paris stated.

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Confessed To Taking Precautions To Prevent Fentanyl Exposure

Martinez confessed in court to failing to take reasonable precautions to prevent his 10-month-old daughter from fentanyl exposure.

"Martinez admitted to creating and failing to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable risk that death would occur and his conduct constituted a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would exhibit in the same situation. As a direct result of this negligent conduct, the infant victim died from acute fentanyl toxicity," the Dutchess County DA's office told Hudson Valley Post.

Dutchess County, New York Dad Sentenced

Dutchess County District Attorney Parisi tells Hudson Valley Post that Martinez was sentenced to six months in jail, followed by 5 years of probation.

"This sentence reflects the devastating consequences of criminal negligence when dangerous narcotics are present around children. No sentence can ever restore this child's life or erase the unimaginable loss suffered by her loved ones, but today's sentence ensures that justice was ultimately pursued," Parisi said.