‘Gray in color’ baby taken from parents following fentanyl addicted mother’s home birth: Court docs

Editor’s note: Details in this story may be disturbing to readers.

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — Two Oregon parents are facing numerous charges after authorities said they found their 12-day-old baby “gray in color and extremely malnourished.”

According to probable cause documents filed in Jackson County, first reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive , authorities arrested Samantha Davis and Mitra Orescan after learning that Davis, a fentanyl addict, gave birth at home to avoid the DHS taking her away her baby like her three prior children had been due to her drug use.

Medford police said in the affidavit they responded to their home on Oct. 7 after Davis’ sister, who has custody of her other children, told police she had heard about the baby and that he looked “malnourished, in drug withdrawal, and in need of immediate medical aid.”

When responding to a welfare check, authorities said at first no one would answer the door but eventually Davis and Orescan left the home with the baby.

While looking through the home on a warrant, officials said they found drug paraphernalia, including fentanyl residue right next to the baby’s pacifier.

The court documents said that Davis told police she had the child at home “for fear of DHS involvement” but she said she hadn’t used any drugs after missing her abortion appointment, and when asked about the drug paraphernalia in the house, she said it belonged to Orescan.

The baby needed immediate medical care and was taken to a hospital by Mercy Flights, according to the affidavit.

The documents describe the baby as being “gray in color and extremely malnourished” with severe thrush in his mouth, a festering diaper rash and infections tho his thumb and eyes.

According to the affidavit, the parents the baby was not eating properly but they denied getting him medical attention. The baby had to be taken to a hospital in Portland where officials said in the affidavit they found fentanyl in his system.

A nurse at the hospital told authorities that if they hadn’t intervened, the baby would’ve “likely died within the next few days,” according to court documents.

Both parents were taken into custody on Oct. 8 and the documents said that Davis admitted to using meth laced with fentanyl on the day the baby was born.

When being arrested, Davis repeatedly denied having drugs on her person but eventually she was found to have cocaine concealed in her bra and inside her vagina, according to the court documents.

Davis is facing numerous charges including first-degree criminal mistreatment, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, unauthorized possession of fentanyl, supplying contraband and unauthorized possession of cocaine.

Orescan faces two counts of first-degree criminal mistreatment and an unauthorized possession of fentanyl charge.

The investigation is ongoing.

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