A California mother has been charged with her 20-month-old daughter’s murder after the toddler died from a suspected fentanyl overdose in late July.
The victim, identified as “Baby Z” in court documents viewed by KSBW, was brought to a Santa Cruz hospital on July 28 by her mother, Korisa Woll.
Woll was arrested that day after it was determined that her daughter was already dead of a drug overdose by the time she arrived at the hospital.
At the time, Woll was only charged with two counts of child abuse and destroying evidence, but prosecutors added a murder charge during her Wednesday arraignment.
Baby Z’s grandmother, Cher-ie Brown, told the outlet that the prosecutors made the right call.
“I have a feeling they’re going to make an example out of her and second-degree murder, that’s the right charges. I just I feel sorry for her (Korisa) prayers go out to her I want Korisa to pray,” Brown said.
Santa Cruz police said Woll was visiting a friend at a local homeless shelter with her daughter and 4-year-old son before the toddler died.
“Ultimately, she was responsible for the care of her child, and she failed to do that by exposing her child to unsafe conditions. Most likely, the child got exposed or somehow came in contact with fentanyl and or cocaine, which led to the child overdosing and dying,” police spokesman Jon Bush said.
Brown said that her son, Baby Z’s father, died of a drug overdose in April.
“But for some reason, drugs got ahold of them, and it took my granddaughter’s life. We’re just all sad about all this, and drugs make you do stupid things, they really do,” the grieving grandmother said.
Woll is being held in the Santa Cruz County Jail without bail, according to KSBW.
Family members reportedly said that she is currently on suicide watch.
