Leo Vincent Callero, a 20-month-old boy, was found dead in his Kenner, Louisiana home on December 31, 2022 (New Year's Eve) from a fatal fentanyl overdose. According to the grandmother's account, the mother, Alexis Callero (34), put Leo to sleep, left the house to go to the store, returned and went to sleep herself, and later noticed the baby was cold but simply wrapped him in a blanket and went back to bed. Police responding to the home found the child not breathing and administered CPR, but it was too late. Testing of the child's mucus indicated the presence of fentanyl, and a search of the bedroom where they slept turned up drug paraphernalia as well as heroin and cocaine, both of which tested positive for fentanyl. Alexis Callero was arrested on January 12 and charged with second-degree murder, cruelty to a juvenile, and drug possession charges. A Jefferson Parish grand jury later indicted her with the additional charge of obstruction of justice. Notably, DCFS had previously removed three other children from Callero's care in 2015, and Leo himself had been hospitalized for over a month after birth due to withdrawal symptoms.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
All three documents explicitly describe the child's death as resulting from a fentanyl overdose. Document 1 (WDSU) states: "a 20 month old child was found not breathing" and "testing of the child's mucus indicated the presence of fentanyl." Document 2 (WWL-TV) states: "the coroner found a fatal dose of Fentanyl in his system." Document 3 (Fox8) states: "toxicology reports confirm significant levels of fentanyl in the child's system."
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)?
Document 1 (WDSU) describes the grandmother's account: the mother "decided to put Leo to sleep. Leave the house and go to the store." She left the child unsupervised in a room containing drug paraphernalia and substances that tested positive for fentanyl. Additionally, when she returned and "notices that her baby is cold, so she gets him in a blanket and goes back to bed," failing to check on the child or seek help. This suggests inappropriate supervision of a 20-month-old in an environment with accessible dangerous drugs.
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)?
Document 1 (WDSU) contains the grandmother's statement: "The moment he was born... she was not allowed to leave the hospital with that baby. But they let him go home with her. He stayed in a hospital for over a month. The withdrawal." This clearly indicates the child was born with neonatal withdrawal symptoms (neonatal abstinence syndrome), evidencing prenatal substance exposure.
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?
Document 3 (Fox8) states: "Police say detectives found cocaine and heroin inside the room where they slept." Document 1 (WDSU) states: "a search of the room the child was staying in turned up drug paraphernalia as well as residue in the bedroom that tested positive for fentanyl." The child's sleeping environment contained illicit drugs and drug paraphernalia, making it an unsafe sleeping environment that directly contributed to the child's fatal fentanyl exposure.
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?
All three documents identify the child's biological mother, Alexis Callero, 34, as the person arrested and charged in connection with Leo's death. Document 1 (WDSU) states she was "arrested and charged with second degree murder, second degree cruelty to juveniles, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance."
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)
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)?
Document 3 (Fox8) states: "Sandra Callero says DCFS took three kids from Alexis back in 2015." This indicates a clear history of child protective services involvement with the mother's other children. Additionally, Document 1 (WDSU) contains the grandmother's statement that after Leo was born, "she was not allowed to leave the hospital with that baby. But they let him go home with her. He stayed in a hospital for over a month. The withdrawal" — suggesting authorities were aware of concerns at Leo's birth as well.
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?
All three documents confirm that Alexis Callero, 34, was arrested and charged in connection with the child's death. Document 1 (WDSU) states: "The 34 year old was arrested and charged with second degree murder, second degree cruelty to juveniles, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance." She was also indicted by a Jefferson Parish Grand Jury for second-degree murder with additional charges including obstruction of justice.
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?
Multiple documents describe the mother's drug use. Document 2 (WWL-TV) states: "Cunningham says officers found heroin and cocaine in the same room as Leo. Both tested positive for Fentanyl." Document 1 (WDSU) notes that "a search of the room the child was staying in turned up drug paraphernalia as well as residue in the bedroom that tested positive for fentanyl." The mother was also charged with possession of controlled substances and drug paraphernalia. The grandmother's account of the child being born with withdrawal symptoms also indicates the mother's drug use during pregnancy.
Notable Details
There are significant systemic and policy failure details across the documents. Document 3 (Fox8) states: "Sandra Callero says DCFS took three kids from Alexis back in 2015," indicating DCFS had previously removed three children from this mother's care. Despite this history, Leo remained in her custody. Document 1 (WDSU) contains the grandmother's account that at birth, "she was not allowed to leave the hospital with that baby. But they let him go home with her. He stayed in a hospital for over a month. The withdrawal," suggesting the child was born with neonatal abstinence syndrome and there were concerns at birth, yet the child was ultimately released to the mother. The grandmother explicitly states "all of this could have been prevented." Additionally, an obstruction of justice charge was added at indictment, suggesting the mother may have attempted to interfere with the investigation. A Kenner police captain also noted: "It's no longer uncommon occurrence... It's very common now to go on scenes where there is drug use, and we find children in there," highlighting a broader systemic issue.
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.