Man Responsible For NJ Baby’s Overdose On Cocaine

MAPLE SHADE, NJ — A 29-year-old Maple Shade man was responsible for a baby’s cocaine overdose, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey said.

Daniel Garcia, Jr. was given 211 months in jail after he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

On June 23, 2024, Garcia and another individual brought a one-year-old baby who was not breathing, having seizures, drooling, and unresponsive to the hospital.

The child was given life-saving care and then flown to a children's hospital, according to officials.

Benzodiazepine, fentanyl, and cocaine were found in the baby's system.

Medical workers had administered benzodiazepine and fentanyl during treatment, but not cocaine.

A doctor at the facility told authorities that the cardiac arrests and cardiac arrythmia, along with seizures, that the baby was suffering from were consistent with a cocaine overdose.

The child's heart stopped twice while undergoing medical care, but was able to be revived.

"Drug trafficking fueled by firearms poisons our communities, and in this case, nearly resulted in the death of a one-year-old child," said United States Attorney Robert Frazer.

While the baby was being treated, Garcia drove home. Surveillance footage showed him bringing a laundry bag out of his home and into the trunk of a different car.

He then parked the second car across a parking lot far from his home and drove the first car back to the hospital.

Authorities carried out a search warrant at the home on the following day and found around $4,250 in cash, rubber bands that resembled those used in illegal drug packaging, an empty fold of paper typically used in illegal drug packaging, and an envelope with 9mm and .357 magnum ammunition.

A warrant was then used to search the car that was parked across the parking lot.

In it, officials found the following:

• The laundry bag
• $150,000 in cash
• Around 329.1g of 100 percent pure methamphetamine
• 767g of cocaine
• 41 amphetamine tablets
• 102 alprazolam tablets
• 272 oxycodone tablets
• 2.6g of MDMA powder
• 1,341g of marijuana
• 9.9g of psilocin and psilocybin mushrooms
• 192g of crystalline cutting agents typically used for illegal drug preparation
• Three digital scales
• Drug packaging material
• Two loaded 9mm handguns
• A loaded .357 magnum revolver

"The District of New Jersey will aggressively pursue traffickers who flood our neighborhoods with drugs, arm themselves to protect their profits, and put our most vulnerable lives at risk," added Frazer.

Garcia agreed to forfeit the guns, more than 200 rounds of ammunition, and the more than $155,000 that were confiscated.

After his jail term, he is set to serve two concurrent terms of five years of supervised release.

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