Youngest Victim of Opioid Crisis: Miami 5th Grader

MIAMI, FL — Alton Banks would have turned 11 next week. He would be getting ready to start sixth grade at Frederick Douglass Elementary. Instead, he is believed to be the youngest victim in Florida's deadly opioid crisis, and his death last month represents a worst-case scenario for Miami-Dade State Attorney Kathy Fernandez Rundle.

"I know that it’s tragic. I know the family is devastated. It’s really a rude awakening," said Fernandez Rundle in an interview with Patch on Wednesday. "It’s really the nightmare that every parent has, that your child can’t go out and play, can’t go to a local pool, a local park without fear of coming into contact with even just a small amount of this fentanyl mixtures that are out there." (Sign up for our free Daily Newsletters and Breaking News Alerts for the Miami Patch.)

That's precisely what law enforcement officials like Fernandez Rundle believe happened to Alton, who would have celebrated his birthday on July 27. After a day at a public swimming pool in Miami's Overtown section, the boy grew sick and died on June 23.

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Based on the preliminary findings from the child's autopsy, law enforcement officials believe Alton somehow came in contact with a very small amount of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

"We know that if you can picture like three grains of sugar in your hand for just a second, that’s all it takes really for an adult to overdose," explained Fernandez Rundle. "We know that can be very fatal. So it can be in the form of dust. It can go through your hands, your feet."

Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed legislation in June that will enhance the penalties for the abuse of fentanyl and its derivatives. In May, he declared a public health emergency that allowed the state to immediately draw down more than $27 million in federal grant money to target the epidemic.

On the street, fentanyl or fentanyl-laced heroin is known as Apache, China Girl, China White, Dance Fever, Friend, Goodfella, Jackpot, Murder 8, TNT, and Tango and Cash, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

"Unfortunately, we have dealers that are dealing with this death out there. They are just death dealers," asserted Fernandez Rundle.

Though the medical examiner's findings are still considered preliminary, investigators hope to piece together Alton's final hours and retrace his last steps by canvassing the neighborhood where he may have come in contact with the drug.

"It's not conclusive yet," said Fernandez Rundle. "But on the other hand we wanted to sort of let people out there know that they needed to be careful, that this has happened and maybe people have some information they can assist with the investigation."

If there's one thing that bodes well for the investigation, it's the relatively short time period in which the boy could have been exposed, said Miami Police Chief Rodolfo Llanes speaking at a Thursday morning press conference (watch below).

"The reason that we’re here today is to hopefully get some information from the public because we don’t know how he came in contact with this drug. So, we don’t have any working theories right now as to how he did that and that’s why we need the public’s help," the chief explained. "If anybody saw Alton that day, or who he was with, or where he was at, then we could piece that timeline together. It’s a short timeline from 5 to 6. It’s a small area and we’re hoping that the public will come forward with information so that we can actually find out exactly how he came in contact with it."

The case also highlights the importance of equipping police with Narcan, which blocks the effects of opioids and reverses the drug's harmful effects. Llanes acknowledged that the city is studying its deployment in the future.

"I’d say the police really need it because there’s no time. You can’t wait for fire rescue. This is almost an immediate reaction to this very deadly poison," said Fernandez Rundle. "All the police officers — everyone who’s on patrol, everyone who’s in the station, anyone who is responding to the scene — not just fire rescue because it protects the officers in case they come unknowingly in contact with this deadly drug or they see someone on the street and they can immediately rescue them."

That may prevent future children from becoming victims like Alton, who was remembered at a July 8 service at the Peaceful Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Miami.

"His family is just completely devastated," Fernandez Rundle told Patch.

To report a tip, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477) or 866-471-8477, visit crimestoppersmiami.com and select "Give a Tip" or text "CSMD" followed by the tip to 274637.

Watch below as the Miami police chief addresses reporters on Thursday regarding the investigation into the death of 10-year-old Alton Banks:

Photo of Miami-Dade State Attorney Kathy Fernandez Rundle by Paul Scicchitano. Video courtesy of the Miami Police Department.