Man arrested for drug overdose death of 17-month-old boy

A man has been arrested for the death of a 17-month-old boy with methamphetamines in his system.

According to Sheriff Carmine Marceno, deputies responded to a 911 call around 1 a.m. on Feb. 15 on the 7800 block of Bartholomew Drive in North Fort Myers.

When deputies arrived, they began CPR, but the baby ultimately died after EMS arrived.

Deputies said the home was filled with hazardous items, including drugs that would have been accessible to a child.

Marceno said the toddler had a substantial amount of amphetamines, enough to kill or seriously impair an adult, according to the toxicology report.

“David Erb willfully subjected an innocent child to a dangerous environment, and his absolute negligence resulted in this tragic death. I’m saddened for the victim and his family, but proud of my dedicated team who didn’t stop until justice could be served,” Sheriff Marceno said.

Detectives said there was a significant delay until 911 was called, likely as much as an hour.

The mother’s boyfriend, David Erb, 27, was arrested for aggravated manslaughter of a child on Dec. 14.

The mother has not been arrested, but the case is still open. In reference to the mother, Marceno added that “pending further investigations, there may be more charges filed … the charges pending right now are exactly what we observed and what we could prove.”

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