Police investigate suspected fentanyl-related death of girl

PORTLAND, Oregon – Portland police suspect the death of a 2-year-old girl Thursday was related to fentanyl, the agency said in a news release.

At around 2:30 p.m., police responded to a home near Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard after a two-year-old child went into cardiac arrest. When police arrived, firefighters on scene told them the girl had been taken to a hospital, where she later died.

The cause of the girl's death is currently being investigated by the coroner; the exact cause of death has not yet been determined.

Portland police believe fentanyl played a role in her death based on evidence found in her home and conversations with hospital staff. Portland police did not release any further details about the evidence found.

The girl's mother, whose identity is not being released publicly at this time, left the home during the incident, Portland police said. Investigators have spoken to several other adults who knew the girl but want to speak to her mother.

“I am incredibly saddened to hear of this little girl's death,” Portland Police Chief Bob Day said in a press release. “This tragedy affects the child's family, friends, neighbors, first responders and our entire community.”

The Portland Police Bureau said it has been notified of 210 overdoses since the beginning of 2024. Five of those involved children. In 2023, 303 overdoses were reported, and nine of those involved children – “an overwhelming majority” of whom died, Portland police said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Jason Koenig at [email protected] or 503-823-0889 and reference case number 24-233352.