Lafayette Sheriff's Deputies Arrest 2 Adults in Death of Toddler

A 1-year-old toddler is dead and two adults have been arrested and charged with Second Degree Murder after deputies with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office found the child unresponsive at a local home on Saturday morning.

According to a press release from LPSO, deputies received the call around 10:30 AM. Deputies then responded to the 100 block of Willie Mae Lane to find the child, who was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

100 block of Willie Mae Lane, google street view

Arrested were 29-year-old Dillon Cormier and 23-year-old Deziree Suttoon. The pair also face a charge of Cruelty to Juveniles. Arrest records say they were each booked on Sunday and are due in court on Tuesday, September 20th. Total bond for each of them is $400,000.00.

LPSO says the investigation will continue but that there is no further information available at this time.

Fighting Fentanyl: Huge Arrests Made Across Acadiana in 2022

The fight against fentanyl is a daunting one as the highly potent drug continues to take lives every day across the country. From Lafayette to the surrounding areas, law enforcement agencies have their hands full as they fight to get fentanly off their respective streets.

The awareness for the fatal causes of fentanyl are there as people across the Acadiana area (and the state) are not only mourning the death of loved ones lost to the substance but are holding memorials and recently worked with legislators to pass "Millie's Law," which increases criminal penalties for those who sale and distribute fentanyl.

Fentanyl has become a leading drug in an epidemic that takes over 100,000 lives each year, according to the CDC. The drug is often added to heroin without it being disclosed to the person buying the drug. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency outlines how dangerous fentanyl has become:

"Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 80-100 times stronger than morphine. Pharmaceutical fentanyl was developed for pain management treatment of cancer patients, applied in a patch on the skin. Because of its powerful opioid properties, Fentanyl is also diverted for abuse. Fentanyl is added to heroin to increase its potency, or be disguised as highly potent heroin. Many users believe that they are purchasing heroin and actually don’t know that they are purchasing fentanyl – which often results in overdose deaths. Clandestinely-produced fentanyl is primarily manufactured in Mexico."

Let's take a look back at headline-catching cases involving fentanyl in 2022.