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NYPD: Infant death ruled homicide more than a year after discovery
By
Charles Lane
Published Dec 12, 2025
Modified Dec 12, 2025
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Mindaugas Dulinskas/Getty Images
By
Charles Lane
Published Dec 12, 2025
Modified Dec 12, 2025
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A newborn's death last year has been ruled a homicide after the city medical examiner found fentanyl in his system, police said.
A 27-year-old mother gave birth at an apartment on West 143rd Street in late November 2024, officials said. She then brought the one-day-old boy to New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, according to police.
The baby, identified as Baby John Doe Santiago Sanchez, was pronounced dead at the hospital.
More than a year later, the city's Office of Chief Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide this week, citing fentanyl exposure and the baby being placed in a plastic bag, officials said.
No arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing, police said.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the neighborhood where the baby was born.
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Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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