Death of Cambridge 1-year-old caused by drug overdose, police say

A one-year-old boy who was found unresponsive at a Cambridge home in May died from a drug overdose, Waterloo regional police say.

Two relatives of the boy, a 38-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman both from Cambridge, have been charged with criminal negligence causing death in the case. Police did not say how they were related to the child.

Police were called to a home on Byton Lane on May 4 just after 2 p.m. after receiving a 911 call about a child in distress.

The child was found without vital signs. He was taken to Cambridge Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Thepolice service's major crime unit worked with the Ontario Coroner's Office on the death investigation and through that investigation, a criminal investigation was launched.

Police continue to investigate. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 519-570-9777 ext. 8191 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

This is not the first time a child in Waterloo region has died from a drug overdose.

In 2019, a Kitchener woman pleaded guilty tocriminal negligence causing death after her20-month-old daughter died after ingesting fentanyl.

In April of this year, three Cambridge residents were arrested in connection to thedrug overdose death of a toddler who was related to them. On Dec. 1, 2020, police responded to a residence on Winter Court in Cambridge after receiving a call about a two-year-old in distress.