GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A mom whose toddler died after finding illicit drugs while the parents were napping was convicted Thursday.
Tyana Putzlocker, 23, pleaded no contest to neglecting a child, consequence is death. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 20. The maximum sentence would be 25 years in the prison system.
The child’s father, Derrick Young, is also charged in the case. He returns to court Oct. 13 for a pre-trial conference.
The criminal complaint says the 18-month-old child was removed from the couple’s custody, and placed with Young’s mother. Young’s mother dropped the child off with Young and Putzlocker in May 2022 and then left, apparently in violation of the placement terms. It is unclear if Young’s mother could face charges for apparently violating those terms, but authorities have only said that is still under review.
Police responded to an apartment on S. Taylor Street in Green Bay on May 3, where the child was unresponsive, and later died. According to the autopsy, the “presence of illicit fentanyl in the decedent’s system is a contributing factor to the cause of death.”
Young told police the child appeared sick, and all three laid down to take a nap together. He woke to find the boy wasn’t breathing. CPR was started, and 911 was called.
After her arrest, Putzlocker said she had no knowledge of how either she or Young could exposed the child to fentanyl, and denied selling drugs containing fentanyl.
“She maintained a theory that her son could have unknowingly found a dangerous drug while he was with her doing laundry in the basement that day,” the complaint quotes her as saying.
Young’s story was different, however.
“Derrick admitted to using and being addicted to fentanyl and also admitted to selling fentanyl. Derrick was using and selling fentanyl at the time of his son’s death. Derrick and Tyana typically smoked fentanyl in the apartment basement but would sometimes smoke in the apartment bathroom. Derrick said he kept fentanyl pills in the apartment closet and if his son got exposed to fentanyl, there was no other explanation other than it being his pills,” the complaint states. “Derrick also admitted that at the time of VICTIM 1’s death, he was thinking that VICTIM 1 might have gotten one of his fentanyl pills.”
The investigation determined Young was dealing drugs.
“Based on my training and experience, reviewing communications between Young and Putzlocker, showed communications consistent with Young being actively involved in the distribution of controlled substances, including but not limited to narcotics such as black market Percocet pills that are known to contain fentanyl, and Putzlocker was both fully aware and at times, participated in that activity. This included discussion of such pills even on the date of VICTIM 1’s death,” the complaint says.
The dead child had been removed from Putzlocker’s direct care due to concern for neglect and being drug-endangered, according to the complaint.
Putzlocker was also convicted Thursday of reckless driving in a separate case.
