EVANSVILLE, Ind — Police in Evansville released new information Thursday about the death of a 3-year-old girl who reportedly got hold of a fentanyl pill before she died.
According to WFIE-TV, police were dispatched to a home Wednesday morning after 911 dispatchers were told the girl, identified Thursday as Kamari Opperman, had gotten a hold of a fentanyl pill Tuesday but was not taken to the hospital.
According to court documents released Thursday, there were three other children involved in the incident. Two of those children had to be given Narcan, a medication used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
Police said one of the children had a fractured skull.
“This tragedy needs to serve as a wake-up call to this entire community. When you have children overdosing on fentanyl and when you have all of these overdose deaths, we’re all put on notice. We all have a responsibility here. This is unacceptable and we need help. So what can society do? What can you do to help us,” Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Nick Hermann said.
Court documents said the children got into a bag of fentanyl pills that were in a nightstand.
In all, six people have been arrested in connection with the investigation.
The girl's mother, 20-year-old Makaylee Opperman, was arrested for neglect of a dependent causing death, along with drug and neglect charges, WFIE reported. Amber and Brandon Opperman were also jailed on charges of neglect of a dependent causing death.
Court documents show Jazmynn Brown and Allison Smithler, who lived with Makaylee Opperman, were arrested on neglect and drug charges.
The investigation also took police to the home of Arcinial Watt, where they found more than 5,000 fentanyl pills. Watt is also facing drug charges.
“This isn’t a game. Fentanyl will kill anyone. Small doses will kill anyone. I’m not naïve enough to think we’re not going to stand up here again in a couple of weeks and have another one of these press conferences about some horrible tragedy cause I’m sure that we will. But we have to be on notice. As a community, we have to do better and we have to protect our children,” Hermann said.
