Prosecutor: 26-Year-Old Area Woman Indicted for Her Toddler’s Overdose Death

A 26-year-old area woman has been indicted on charges alleging she caused the drug overdose death of her 2-year-old son, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Monday.

Quanique Smith, of Asbury Park, has been indicted on the charges of: first-degree aggravated manslaughter, two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance, and third-degree hindering apprehension.

If convicted of the aggravated manslaughter charge, Smith could be subject to a term of up to 30 years in state prison, with 85 percent of the sentence to be served before the possibility of parole under the provisions of New Jersey’s No Early Release Act (NERA). Convictions on second- and third-degree criminal charges are commonly punishable by terms of up to 10 and five years, respectively.

The case background …

Shortly after 1 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 5, Asbury Park police responded to a call at an apartment unit on the 100 block of Langford Street on a report of an unresponsive child. There, they found the child, who was rushed to a local hospital, where, despite lifesaving efforts, he was pronounced dead shortly before 2 a.m.

An investigation involving members of the Prosecutor’s Office and the Asbury Park Police Department determined that quantities of heroin and fentanyl belonging to Smith had been left in the family’s home within reach of the 2-year-old and his 5-year-old sibling, with the former child ingesting the drugs that directly caused his death. Smith was arrested later on the same day and transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI).

Anyone with information about this matter is still asked to contact MCPO Detective Stephen Cavendish at 800-533-7443 or Asbury Park Detective Anthony Houlis at 732-502-4582. This case was assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Stephanie Dugan.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office