A California mother, Korisa Woll, has been charged with the murder of her 20-month-old daughter, known as “Baby Z,” who died from a suspected fentanyl overdose in late July.
According to court documents, Woll brought her unresponsive daughter to a Santa Cruz hospital on July 28, where it was determined that the toddler had already succumbed to a drug overdose. Woll was initially charged with two counts of child abuse and destroying evidence, but prosecutors added a murder charge during her arraignment on Wednesday.
Baby Z’s grandmother, Cher-ie Brown, expressed support for the upgraded charges, stating that she believes Woll should be held accountable for her actions. “I think they’re going to make an example out of her, and second-degree murder is the right charge,” Brown said.
Santa Cruz police reported that Woll was visiting a friend at a local homeless shelter with her daughter and 4-year-old son before the toddler’s death. Authorities believe that Woll exposed her child to unsafe conditions, which ultimately led to the overdose.
“It’s a tragic case, and ultimately, she was responsible for the care of her child, and she failed to do that,” said police spokesman Jon Bush. “The child got exposed to fentanyl and/or cocaine, which led to the overdose and death.”
Brown revealed that Baby Z’s father had also died of a drug overdose in April, and expressed sadness and frustration over the devastating impact of addiction on her family. “Drugs make you do stupid things, and it took my granddaughter’s life,” she said.
Woll is currently being held in the Santa Cruz County Jail without bail, and family members report that she is on suicide watch.
