On August 21, 2022, in Oakland Park, Florida, an 11-month-old infant was found unresponsive at his grandmother’s home.
Josiah Fenelus was pronounced dead on arrival at a nearby hospital.
A sequence of investigations followed, leading to the recent arrest of his grandmother.
53-year-old Tibina Louissant was taken into custody by the Broward Sheriff’s Office on October 13 in connection with the death of her grandson, Josiah Fenelus. CBS12 reported that Josiah was left with Louissant for the weekend when the tragic incident occurred.
A medical examination revealed that Josiah had a lethal concentration of the powerful antihistamine cyproheptadine in his system.
The Food and Drug Administration states that cyproheptadine, primarily used for allergy treatment, can only be legally administered with a doctor’s prescription. Additionally, it can be used for appetite control.
Toxicology tests added complexity to the case as baby bottles found in Louissant’s home tested positive for the same antihistamine. According to reports, two baby bottles from her residence contained cyproheptadine matching the substance found in Josiah’s system.
Following the conclusion of the autopsy, the manner of Josiah’s death was determined to be a homicide, with the cause being attributed to cyproheptadine toxicity. As Louissant was the sole caregiver at the time of the incident, she now faces a charge of aggravated manslaughter of a child.
She was released on bond the next day with a bond amount of $50,000.
