Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Mom Accused Of Killing 6-Yr-Old With Methadone In DayQuil Bottle
By
Ben Yakas
Published Feb 3, 2012
Modified Feb 3, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
via CBS
By
Ben Yakas
Published Feb 3, 2012
Modified Feb 3, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A Bronx mom has been charged after her six-year-old son was given an accidental, lethal dose of methadone—which had been stored in a cold medicine bottle. Raquel DeLeon, 36, was charged Thursday with reckless endangerment in the death of Carlos Rios Jr. DeLeon, who has two prior drug arrests, told police she has a prescription for methadone, but it is unclear why she was storing it in the DayQuil bottle. "As soon as he got sick, he was dizzy, he got in a coma and he died," the boy's maternal grandmother, Letty Muentes, told CBS.
According to the Daily News, Rios Jr. wasn’t feeling well Saturday when his father gave him half a tablespoon of liquid from the DayQuil (conflicting reports also say it was NyQuil) bottle—not knowing the mother had been storing her methadone in it. Carlos was rushed from his E. 147th St. apartment to Lincoln Hospital, then transferred to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, where he died.
"He was a good boy. He liked to paint. He was a good artist, fun kid. It's a tragedy to have me go through this," Rios told CBS after taking his son off life support. The boy's family said they are angry at The Administration for Child Services (ACS), claiming the organization didn't do enough after they went to the agency twice for help. In a statement, the agency said it "received the report of the terribly sad death of the 6-year-old boy in the Bronx, and along with the NYPD, our staff is investigating what led to this tragedy."
Tagged
accident
bronx
carlos rios jr.
dayquil bottle
death
drugs
methadone
raquel deleon
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC schools to review hiring practices after teacher's aide accused of jogger murder
The suspect was hired as a paraprofessional despite documented mental health concerns from the U.S. Marines and NYPD.
By
Jessica Gould
Published Nov 13, 2026 at 3:54 p.m. ET
Engineers question city-approved plans after Brooklyn building collapse
The city OK'd an excavation without additional bracing for the adjacent building. One engineer called it a “recipe for disaster.”
By
David Brand
News
Engineers question city-approved plans after Brooklyn building collapse
The city OK'd an excavation without additional bracing for the adjacent building. One engineer called it a “recipe for disaster.”
By
David Brand
MTA wants AI cameras on subway trains to spot people on the tracks
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
How to help the victims of the Brooklyn building collapse
By
Karen Yi
Fearing deportation, immigrant family killed in Brooklyn building collapse felt safest at home
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .