A jury today found a 52-year-old caretaker guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the death of her 23-month-old nephew.
After deliberating about five hours, jurors agreed with prosecutors that Jaqueline Escareno placed a 25-microgram fentanyl patch on Demarcus Bryant's back in March 2014.
Her sentencing date has been set for May 16.
It's the relief," said Sarah Bryant, the toddler's mother, "but it doesn't bring him back. I still have to deal with that."
Bryant sat beside her sister, and her toddler's aunt and uncle throughout the three-day trial. When jurors announced the verdict today, she cried "yes" and linked hands with the family as they held photographs of Demarcus.
Escareno was led away by attorneys.
She was watching Demarcus and his 4-year-old sister on March 21, 2014, while Sarah Bryant recovered from surgery. After a long day of scurrying between hospitals though, Demarcus couldn't settle down. So, Escareno applied one of her prescribed fentanyl patches to the child's back, prosecutors said during closing arguments.
Leslie Longshore and AnCharlene Davis argued that Escareno understood the dangers of her medication. Her attorneys, Lloyd Levitt and Fisher Wise, countered she had no motive to kill the child.
Levitt said the patch accidentally transferred to the Demarcus's back while Escareno bathed him.