On August 9, 2023, Marion police and EMS were called to a home in the 1300 block of West Nelson Street in Marion, Indiana, for an unresponsive 1-year-old boy, Matheo Hernandez. First responders found the child not breathing, and he was transported to Marion Health hospital where he was pronounced dead. A toxicology report determined the cause of death was fentanyl drug intoxication, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. Two Marion residents — Jamar Barnett, 29, and Kayla Hernandez, 23 — were subsequently arrested on February 1, 2024, and charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Level 1 felony. During Barnett's arrest, he fled from a traffic stop and officers later found pressed M30 fentanyl pills along his pursuit route, leading to additional charges of dealing in a controlled substance and resisting law enforcement.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
The vital records document (INME_2023_MH.pdf) states the cause of death was "DRUG INTOXICATION (FENTANYL)." The fox59.com article states that "a 1-year-old child died after overdosing on fentanyl," and the wthr.com article confirms "a toxicology report revealed that the child's death was due to a reported fentanyl drug overdose."
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
A 1-year-old child died from fentanyl intoxication while in the care of two adults who were both charged with "neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Level 1 felony" (fox59.com). The child's access to fentanyl at such a young age implies a failure of appropriate supervision. The WTHR article confirms the child was found "unresponsive" at their home, indicating the caregivers failed to prevent the child's exposure to the drug.
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The child's name is Matheo Hernandez (INME_2023_MH.pdf) and one of the two adults arrested for neglect of a dependent resulting in death is Kayla Hernandez (fox59.com, wthr.com). The shared last name strongly implies Kayla Hernandez is the biological mother. Both articles describe her as being charged with neglect resulting in death, indicating she was a responsible caregiver at the time of the incident.
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Jamar Barnett (29) was arrested alongside Kayla Hernandez (23) for neglect of a dependent resulting in death. Barnett's last name differs from both the child (Matheo Hernandez) and the presumed mother (Kayla Hernandez), which may suggest he is a male paramour or boyfriend rather than the biological father. However, the text does not explicitly describe his relationship to the child or to Hernandez, making this determination ambiguous.
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The fox59.com article states that "29-year-old Jamar Barnett and 23-year-old Kayla Hernandez were arrested and preliminarily charged with one count of neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Level 1 felony." The wthr.com article confirms both arrests occurred on Feb. 1.
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The child died of fentanyl intoxication in the caregivers' home, indicating fentanyl was present and accessible in the household. Additionally, during Barnett's arrest, officers "found a clear plastic bag containing pressed M30 pills that later tested positive for fentanyl" (wthr.com), and Barnett was charged with "dealing in a controlled substance" (fox59.com). This demonstrates the caregiver's direct involvement with fentanyl.
Notable Details
During Barnett's arrest approximately six months after the child's death, he fled on foot from a traffic stop. The WTHR article reports that "one officer deployed a taser during that pursuit, but it was not effective." Officers later "found a clear plastic bag containing pressed M30 pills that later tested positive as fentanyl" along the foot pursuit route. Barnett was additionally charged with dealing in a controlled substance and resisting law enforcement resulting in injury. This indicates that a caregiver continued to possess and deal fentanyl even after the child's fentanyl-related death, which is a substantive detail demonstrating ongoing drug activity by one of the responsible adults.
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