On Friday, Jan. 7, at 12:36 p.m., Bensalem Police were dispatched to the report of an infant in cardiac arrest on Oak Avenue in Trevose. The 4-month-old was found unresponsive in the living room of the home where police and EMS attempted life-saving measures.
The infant was transported to St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy of the infant revealed the presence of fentanyl in the child’s blood and the cause of death was determined to be “Adverse Effects of Fentanyl.”
An investigation by Bensalem Police and the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office revealed that the infant’s parents, Felicity Westmoreland and Daniel Howarth, were in the home when the child died. The home was in disarray with clothes, trash and old food scattered throughout. Police also discovered numerous drug baggies, syringes and a tourniquet commonly used for drug injection. Those items tested positive for the presence of fentanyl and cocaine.
Donna Westmoreland, the baby’s grandmother, was previously appointed as the baby’s foster mother. The Bucks County Juvenile Dependency Court issued a Shelter Care Order prohibiting Donna from leaving the infant unsupervised with Westmoreland and Howarth. Donna admitted to Bensalem detectives that she left the infant unsupervised with his parents on the day of the infant’s death, Jan. 7, in violation of that order.
The parents were charged with involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. The mother was arranged by District Justice Joseph Falcone on March 17 and remanded to Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10 percent of $10 million bail. There is an active arrest warrant for Howarth.
Donna has been charged with child endangerment. She was arraigned by Falcone on March 16 and sent to the Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10 percent of $150,000 bail.
Bensalem Police are asking anyone with information on the whereabouts of Howarth or information about this case to contact 215-633-3719 or submit an anonymous tip at bucks.crimewatchpa.com/bensalempd
