Baby Ate Fatal Heroin Dose, Mother And Grandmother Charged

ORCHARD BEACH, MD — An Anne Arundel County woman and her 17-year-old daughter have been arrested after authorities said they failed to seek medical care for an infant when they suspected the teen's 9-month-old son had ingested fentanyl and heroin. On Dec. 5, Laurie Taylor and her daughter, Alexus Taylor, the baby's mother, were arrested on felony charges that stem from the July 27 overdose death of the baby.

Alexus Taylor, 17, has been charged with first-degree child abuse resulting in death, second-degree child abuse, manslaughter and reckless endangerment, according to Anne Arundel County Police. Laurie Taylor, 43, has been charged on the exact same grounds with the addition of two counts of reckless endangerment regarding Alexus Taylor.

On July 27, Anne Arundel County emergency responders arrived at the Taylor home in the 7900 block of Chesapeake Drive in Orchard Beach for a report of a 9-month-old boy in medical distress. The baby, Niyear Taylor, died at a hospital. Detectives were told that the baby had been wheezing while breathing, but fell asleep about 2 a.m. At 9:15 a.m. the next day, Laurie and Alexus Taylor, who were co-sleeping with Niyear, discovered him unresponsive and called 911.

About two weeks later, detectives executed a search warrant at the Taylor home and found more than 100 gel caps on the floor, in the baby's diaper bag and other areas, according to a police report. The pills tested positive for both heroin and fentanyl.

Police say Laurie Taylor drove the baby and her two daughters to Baltimore City to buy heroin to share with her daughters. After they returned home, the women noticed one heroin gel capsule was missing. Although they told police they searched for the drug, they never found it.

Laurie Taylor and Alexus then drove back to Baltimore City to buy more heroin. After they returned home the second time, they noticed Niyear "breathing oddly," the police report said. Laurie Taylor suspected the baby had possibly ingested the heroin capsule, but she and Alexus decided to "wait and see" if he had a reaction. Hours later, Niyear was found unresponsive.

An autopsy and toxicology reports confirmed fentanyl and morphine present in the baby's blood, liver and stomach contents, the police report said.

The Anne Arundel County Police Department asks anyone with information in the case to contact the homicide unit at 410-222-4731, call the anonymous Tip Line at 410-222-4700 or call Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP.