Officials on Friday identified the 1½-year-old boy who police suspect may have suffered a fatal overdose in his father’s St. Paul home on Christmas Day.
Officials ID 1½-year-old boy who police suspect suffered fatal overdose on Christmas Day in Twin Cities
Both parents were arrested, but charges might not come this week.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
December 27, 2024 at 10:11PM
Jackson Joseph Weidell allegedly overdosed Wednesday at the residence in the 1000 block of E. 5th Street, according to police.
The boy’s 38-year-old father and 31-year-old mother were arrested Wednesday, but the woman was released from jail Friday without being charged as the investigation continues into what led to Jackson’s death, police said.
The father remains in jail in connection with an unrelated felony charge. The Minnesota Star Tribune generally does not identify suspects before they are charged.
“We are waiting for the toxicology report, and that won’t be back for quite a while,” said police Sgt. Toy Vixayvong.
Officers found Jackson unresponsive shortly after 1:30 p.m. at the Dayton’s Bluff home. The child was taken to Regions Hospital and pronounced dead there, police said.
Police said they arrested the parents at the scene on suspicion of second-degree manslaughter.
Recent court records show the alleged overdose would have occurred in the father’s home. His mother lives elsewhere in the Twin Cities.
In March, the father filed a petition with the court requesting an order for protection from the mother alleging that she had left drug residue around his house where his 3-year-old daughter could reach and ingest it. A judge, however, dismissed the request nine days later when the father failed to show up for a hearing.
A special election will be held Jan. 28 to fill Curtis Johnson’s seat in east metro suburbs.
