Fremont mother pleads guilty after toddler's fentanyl death

(KRON) — A Fremont mother pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter this week after her 23-month-old son was poisoned by fentanyl at home, according to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.

Sophia Gastelum-Vera, 27, faces a maximum of three years in state prison when she is sentenced by a judge on October 21.

On Oct. 18, 2023, Gastelum-Vera and other family members drove the toddler to a hospital’s emergency room, police said. He was not breathing when he arrived and was pronounced deceased.

The East Bay Times reported that the mother’s plea was made as part of a plea deal with the DA’s office. The newspaper, which was first to report on the plea, identified the toddler as Kristofer Ferreyra.

The boy's toxicology report showed “a high level of fentanyl” in his system when he died, the Fremont Police Department wrote.

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Fremont police said when officers served a search warrant at the mother's home on Gina Street, they found “items associated with illicit drug use” inside a bedroom. The items tested positive for fentanyl, according to police. The toddler and his mother shared the same bedroom, police said.

Gastelum-Vera was arrested on Nov. 7 and was booked into Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of murder. The mother is currently out of Santa Rita Jail custody, inmate records show.

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