Delco Baby Dies Of Opioid Overdose, Parents Charged: DA

UPPER DARBY, PA – Two Delaware County parents are facing third-degree murder charges after their 10-month-old daughter died of an opioid overdose, and they failed to call for help for hours, according to authorities.

Joseph Milano, 31, and Lauren Semanyk, 34, both of Upper Darby, were arrested and charged on Dec. 5 in connection with the death of their 10-month-old daughter Angelina Milano in April, according to Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun Copeland.

The baby ingested fentanyl-laced heroin, and the parents allegedly did not seek medical treatment, despite Angelina showing signs and symptoms of a drug overdose.

Milano and Semanyk are both charged with murder of the third degree and conspiracy to commit murder, felonies of the first degree, involuntary manslaughter, and conspiracy to commit involuntary manslaughter, felonies of the second degree, endangering the welfare of a child and conspiracy to commit the same, felonies of the third degree, and possession of drug paraphernalia, an ungraded misdemeanor.

According to information from the District Attorney's office, Angelina ingested the fentanyl-laced heroin sometime between April 15 and April 16 at the couple's Westley Drive home in Upper Darby's Clifton Heights neighborhood.

Police were called to the couple's home at about 1:17 a.m. April 16 for a report of an infant girl in cardiac arrest, the DA's office said.

Police met Milano, who was holding Angelina and shouting that she was not breathing, and told police she slid underwater while taking a bath.

Officers began trying to revive Angelia before EMS arrive and took her to a hospital.

While at the hospital, police asked Semanyk if the baby needed other life-saving measures, asking if she may have ingested heroin and Semanyk later said Angelina may have been exposed to heroin.

Hospital staff gave Angelina Narcan, but she eventually died at 2:02 a.m.

Angelina's death was ruled as a homicide, and the cause of death due to "synthetic fentanyl intoxication and complications thereof" with circumstances of injury ruled as "infant, under care of adults, ingested synthetic fentanyl," the DA's office said.

After an investigation, police said they determined Milano and Semanyk waited at least six hours after Angelina was exposed to the drugs before calling for help. The couple called 911 once, but they hung up. When 911 later called back, Milano and Semanyk said there was no emergency, the DA's office said.

Both Milano and Semanyk were remanded to the George W. Hill Correctional Facility after being denied bail.

They are slated for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 13, court records show.

"It is extremely disturbing and disheartening to have to prosecute parents for the death of their own infant. The life of this infant could have been saved if the defendants, Joseph Milano and Lauren Semanyk, had contacted authorities immediately, but instead, they wasted precious time, taking hours to finally follow through and only calling 911 when it was too late. We know that heroin is often laced with fentanyl, which can cause death, as in this case," Copeland said.

Images via Delaware County District Attorney's Office