Anthony Mixon, 40, pleaded guilty on Dec. 13 to child endangering and involuntary manslaughter.
ZANESVILLE, Ohio — A Zanesville man pleaded guilty last week to felony charges stemming from the overdose death of his 13-month-old son.
Anthony Mixon, aged 40, admitted guilt on Dec. 13 to charges of child endangerment and involuntary manslaughter as stated by the Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office. Additionally, he confessed to biting a deputy officer while being held in jail.
Zanesville Police Department officials responded to a residence on Aug. 26 following a report of a deceased infant. Upon arrival, the officers were guided to a bedroom where the lifeless body of a 13-month-old baby boy was discovered.
As per a family member, Mixon, a known fentanyl user, had been present in the house earlier that evening. The family member was unaware of his departure time.
She told police she was watching the baby until he went to sleep sometime after 10 p.m. She admitted to giving the child an adult-strength melatonin pill, which is used to help people sleep.
She noticed at one point that the baby was groggy and “out of sorts,” but assumed it was because of the melatonin.
Then, the prosecutor’s office said around 3 a.m. the family member noticed the baby was not breathing and was cold to the touch.
The prosecutor’s office says autopsy reports show that the baby’s death was caused by an acute and toxic drug overdose and toxicology reports show the baby had fentanyl and cocaine in his bloodstream.
“At the very core, the drug dealer is a selfish parasite that only cares about himself or herself,” Prosecutor Ron Welch said. “Some people, mainly family members or friends of drug dealers, may view our penalties for drug dealers as too harsh, but there is no penalty harsh enough when a 13-month-old has to die so somebody can make easy money.”
Mixon is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 29.
