New Charge For Woman In Overdose Death Of 12-Year-Old Girl In Fort Lee

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A 48-year-old woman who was arrested last weekend in connection with the drug overdose death of a 12-year-old girl in Fort Lee has now been charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter, prosecutors said Friday.

Meanwhile, a woman on social media who says she's a family member has posted videos blaming child welfare workers for failing to prevent the. girl's death.

Frances Caso, 48, of Fort Lee, was initially charged last week with endangering the welfare of a child, possession of controlled dangerous substances, and possession of drug paraphernalia, said Bergen County prosecutors.

The new charge that prosecutors announced Friday is "a result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck and the Fort Lee Police Department under the direction of Chief Matthew Hintze," officials said.

As previously reported, on Saturday, May 25, 2024, the Fort Lee Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting an unresponsive 12-year-old female at a private residence on Maple Street in Fort Lee.

The girl was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead.

"Indicators of a possible drug overdose were noted and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office was notified," prosecutors said at the time.

Three Other Kids Present

They determined that Caso was present in the home around the time of the suspected overdose, as were three other juveniles.

A court-authorized search of the home "revealed multiple suspected controlled dangerous substances and paraphernalia used to ingest controlled dangerous substances," prosecutors said last week.

On Friday, prosecutors said that Caso remains in the Bergen County Jail, awaiting a detention hearing in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack.

A TikTok account called "Justice For Trinity" started posting videos on Thursday, using the handle @dyfsfailedtrinity to raise awareness for the case.

No other information was available as of press time, but Patch will continue reporting as more details are shared.

READ MORE: Woman Arrested In Connection With Overdose Death Of 12-Year-Old Fort Lee Girl