APD: 11-month-old baby’s drug overdose no accident
Police are keeping mum as they continue to investigate the drug-related death of a southwest Atlanta infant.
Toxicology reports have confirmed the 11-month-old boy died after ingesting an opium-based substance, Atlanta police homicide commander Paul Guerrucci said.
The infant’s father, Andre Barlow, called 911 around 12:30 a.m. on Oct. 3 after discovering his namesake’s still body, according to the incident report. Little Andre was rushed to Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital but never regained consciousness.
Initially, investigators believed Andre died from natural causes, but Guerrucci said police are now treating the infant’s death as a homicide.
Andre’s babysitter told officers she put the baby down around 10 p.m. She said she last saw him sleeping on his stomach.
A few hours later, Andre’s father discovered his son, still lying on his stomach, but not breathing.
Police, who say they do not believe the baby ingested the opiates accidentally, have yet to identify a suspect.
Andre would’ve celebrated his first birthday on Saturday.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
