Washington County woman charged with homicide in 1-year-old daughter's fentanyl death
A Washington County woman has been charged with criminal homicide in the death of her 1-year-old daughter, who authorities say died from fentanyl poisoning.
Washington County District Attorney Jason M. Walsh announced charges Tuesday against Lindsey Rae Reho, 32, of North Franklin.
In a criminal complaint, state police said medics went to Reho’s apartment the morning of June 10 for a report of an unresponsive child. The child was taken to Washington Hospital, where she died.
At the hospital, state police said medics told them that while they were trying to save the girl, Reho was overheard saying, “Do you think she got into something?” and asked about Narcan.
Police said Reho initially admitted to being an addict, with heroin being her drug of choice, but that she had been clean for about six years.
A toxicology report from the Washington County Coroner in July found the child had fentanyl and norfentanyl in her system. The cause of death was fentanyl toxicity, the complaint states.
Later in July, the girl’s father advised that Reho had suspicions that their child had possibly gotten into drugs or paraphernalia on the day of her death, the complaint states.
In a later interview, Reho admitted to using heroin almost daily as well as methadone, and knowing that when she buys heroin she is actually getting fentanyl, the complaint states.
On the morning her daughter died, according to the complaint, Reho told police she bagged up some old drugs and paraphernalia and put them in a kitchen garbage can. She then left to go to a methadone clinic.
Upon returning, she was in contact with the girl while cooking breakfast and washing dishes. A short time after the girl was placed in a pack-and-play, her father found her unresponsive, the complaint states.
In addition to criminal homicide, Reho is charged with endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person.
She was denied bail during an arraignment Tuesday and sent to the Washington County jail.
Reho is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 4.
Brian C. Rittmeyer is a TribLive reporter covering news in New Kensington, Arnold and Plum. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University's Schreyer Honors College, Brian has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at brittmeyer@triblive.com.
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