PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Police in northern Virginia are searching for a Virginia mother facing several charges in connection to the overdose death of her 1-year-old child.
Police said officers responded to 37-year-old Tiffany Nicole Stokes’ Prince William County home around 3 a.m. on June 23 after Stokes reported she woke up and found her 20-month-old boy — who she said had been co-sleeping with her — unconscious.
The child was taken to a local hospital, where he died. At his time of death, police did not suspect any suspicious or unusual circumstances. But that changed after further analysis and autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Investigators received findings from the medical examiner a little over a month later, in early August, indicating the child had a lethal amount of fentanyl in his blood which caused his death. Investigators believe the child ingested the deadly drug at some point between the evening of June 22 and the early morning of June 23.
Stokes was interviewed again, and police say she was found to have an unprescribed pill containing Oxycodone and Acetaminophen. Investigators say Stokes also had access to and used unprescribed pills believed to be Percocet around the time of the toddler’s death.
On Dec. 7, police issued several warrants for Stokes’ arrest in connection to her toddler’s death, including felony homicide, felony child neglect and possession of a scheduled I or II narcotic. Police say attempts to have Stokes turn herself in have been unsuccessful. Police say Stokes has no known address and no longer lives at her previous home.
Stokes was described by police as a 4-foot-9-inch-tall Black female with black hair and brown eyes, and weighing 130 pounds. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Stokes is asked to contact Prince William County Police Department tipline at 703-792-7000 or submit a web tip to pwcva.gov/policetip.
