Twenty-seven-year-old Walter H. Clark faces multiple charges in the July 23 death of a toddler who apparently came into contact with fentanyl and cocaine while he and his girlfriend were babysitting her.
By Matt Skoufalos | August 3, 2022
A 27-year-old Cherry Hill man is in Camden County Jail tonight on charges that he caused the death of a two-year-old girl.
Walter H. Clark faces one count each of first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree aggravated assault, and second-degree endangering a minor in the death of the child.
According to a statement from the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office (CCPO), first responders arrived at the 300 block of Evergreen Avenue around 7:46 p.m. on July 23 for a report of a toddler who was not breathing.
There they found an unconscious, two-year-old girl, and transported the child to Cooper University Hospital. She was pronounced dead at 9:06 p.m.
Investigators reportedly determined that the victim had cocaine and fentanyl in her system, the CCPO said, adding that police found drug paraphernalia in the home from which the child was transported.
Clark was ordered detained after an August 3 hearing, the CCPO reported.
According to Cherry Hill Police Chief Robert Kempf, the accused and his girlfriend were babysitting the child for a friend at the time of the incident.
Although first responders and law enforcement are trained in processing a scene where fentanyl may be present, the narcotic is capable of inducing an overdose in adults in amounts as little as 2 milligrams, to say nothing of what a toddler could tolerate.
“The strength of these drugs that are out there, they’re just so deadly in such miniscule quantities,” the chief said. “Tragedies like this drive it home.”
“These are the calls that stick with you forever,” he said.
All persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. An arrest is not a conviction.
