Three-year-old Damien Coats was found unresponsive and stiff at a home near Tomahawk Road and Broadway Avenue in Apache Junction, Arizona. He had ingested at least one fentanyl pill. His family transported him to a hospital where he was treated with Narcan and temporarily improved, but he was subsequently airlifted to a hospital in Mesa. The child suffered brain swelling and stroke symptoms, was placed on life support, and ultimately died on January 29, 2023, from complications of fentanyl intoxication. His mother, Venicia Belarde (age 21), was substantiated for neglect for knowingly allowing the child to reside in a home with active fentanyl users where the drug was accessible. His maternal grandmother, Jillian Golden (age 37), was substantiated for neglect for failing to seek immediate medical attention. Before the incident, the child had been traveling between multiple homes across Maricopa and Pinal counties. No arrests were reported.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Multiple documents confirm the child died from fentanyl ingestion/overdose. The fatality report (Document 1) states the child "ultimately died due to fentanyl intoxication." The medical examiner report (Document 3) lists cause of death as "COMPLICATIONS OF FENTANYL INTOXICATION." The Fox 10 news article (Document 4) states "a toddler died after police say he ingested fentanyl" and "the 3-year-old boy ingested at least one fentanyl pill."
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)?
The fatality report (Document 1) states that the mother, Venicia Belarde, "knowingly allowed the child to reside in a home with active fentanyl users and making it accessible to them." This describes a failure to appropriately supervise the child's environment, resulting in the child gaining access to and ingesting fentanyl. While not a classic wandering-off scenario, it constitutes inappropriate supervision by allowing the child to be in an environment where lethal drugs were accessible.
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?
The fatality report (Document 1) states: "The Department substantiated the allegation of neglect by the maternal grandmother, Jillian Golden, who failed to seek immediate medical attention for the child." This is an explicit reference to 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 fatality report (Document 1) identifies the mother, Venicia Belarde, as an alleged perpetrator. It states: "The Department substantiated the allegation of neglect as to the mother, Venicia Belarde, who knowingly allowed the child to reside in a home with active fentanyl users and making it accessible to them."
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)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
The fatality report (Document 1) identifies the maternal grandmother, Jillian Golden, as an alleged perpetrator: "The Department substantiated the allegation of neglect by the maternal grandmother, Jillian Golden, who failed to seek immediate medical attention for the child." The maternal grandmother is an adult relative other than a parent.
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)?
The fatality report (Document 1) details multiple prior DCS reports involving both alleged perpetrators. For the mother, Venicia Belarde: "On July 10, 2017, a report was received alleging neglect to a child by the mother, Venicia Belarde, and their father." That child was a sibling of Damien (since Damien was born around 2019-2020). For Jillian Golden, there were four prior reports dating from 2005 to 2017, including one substantiated case in November 2017 that resulted in removal of children.
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?
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 fatality report (Document 1) states the mother "knowingly allowed the child to reside in a home with active fentanyl users and making it accessible to them." This references active fentanyl use in the caregiving environment. While it does not explicitly name the mother or grandmother as users themselves, the presence of active fentanyl users in the home where the child's caregivers resided constitutes a reference to substance use in the caregiving context.
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the text. First, despite both perpetrators being substantiated for neglect leading to the child's death, no arrests were made as of the latest reporting dates. The Fox 10 news article states: "No arrests have been made at this time, however, the incident is an ongoing criminal investigation." Second, the medical examiner ruled the manner of death as "Undetermined" despite the cause being fentanyl intoxication in a 3-year-old, which is notable for a child death involving illicit drug exposure. Third, the child had been "staying at different homes across Maricopa and Pinal counties" and "traveling between Apache Junction, Mesa and nearby Maricopa County islands" before the incident, indicating housing instability. Fourth, the Banner Poison Control Center reported a dramatic increase in fentanyl-related calls involving children, from "one or two" per year in 2017-2018 to "close to 50 in a year," highlighting a systemic trend.
These fields were populated by an AI model and may contain inaccuracies. Review the links and PDFs provided for verification before citing. Contact [email protected] to report any inaccuracies where corrections are needed.