Peoria mother sentenced to prison in her infant son's overdose death

A Peoria woman accused of giving her child fentanyl, which eventually led to his death , reached a plea deal Thursday that would see her spend the next three years in prison.

Zenai Denise Lashayla Wolford, 19, had been charged with endangering the life of a child in August after her 9-month-old son Kaine died after he was found unconscious in their home on Green Street on July 26.

The Peoria County Coroner's Office said that Kaine was the victim of fentanyl intoxication that eventually led to his death, with Wolford being arrested by the Peoria Police Department after they found a small plastic bag containing ecstasy pills that the child chewed on.

Wolford originally pled not guilty to the charge during arraignment on Aug. 29 and was facing up to 10 years in prison if the case went to trial on Oct. 21 as scheduled and she was convicted. She had been held in the Peoria County Jail since July 30 after a petition by the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office to hold her prior to trial was approved.

As part of the plea deal, Wolford stated that she committed the actions that led to Kaine's death as a result of the abuse or addiction to alcohol or a controlled substance.

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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria mother sentenced to prison in her infant son's overdose death