The Chester County District Attorney has announced charges against a man and woman from Coatesville, Pennsylvania in connection to the death of an eight-year-old. Authorities say the child died due to illegal drug exposure.
40-year-old Holly Back and 41-year-old Mousa Hawa have been charged with Murder of the Third Degree, Involuntary Manslaughter, and other charges. The District Attorney’s Office specifies that Hawa is the child’s biological father.
Criminal complaints filed by Chester County detectives allege that Coatesville Police Department officers responded to a 911 call about a child in cardiac arrest at a residence in the 500 block of East Lincoln Highway.
At the scene, it is allegedly that Back showed responding officers into the residence where they found Hawa performing CPR on the child. Officers noted that the child had ashen skin and cyanosis to his mouth and ears. Officers took over the CPR and noticed several baggies scattered throughout the living room and medication bottles in a bag on the floor.
The victim was transported to Chester County Hospital where the victim passed away. It is alleged that the residence was littered with drug paraphernalia, empty heroin bags, and a shoebox containing hundreds of small glassine bags containing blue fentanyl/heroin bags.
Authorities say the latter bags were either empty or contained residue. It is also alleged that messages on the defendants’ cell phones discussed drug use. Hawa reportedly told investigators that the child knew not to touch illegal drugs which were referred to as medicine.
The victim’s blood and urine samples contained cocaine and fentanyl. The hair sample showed traces of fentanyl.
Jay Skelton is an independent crime journalist with a passion for covering the uncovered and the under covered.