Parents blame son, 8, for fatal fentanyl overdose and claim boy ‘knew not to touch daddy’s medicine’

Two people in Pennsylvania were arrested after their eight-year-old son fatally overdosed on cocaine and fentanyl – with their house full of “literally hundreds” of used drug baggies according to the authorities.

Parents Holly Back and Mousa Hawa were charged with third degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and other related charges in connection with the untimely death of young Hunter Hawa. Chester County District Attorney Christopher L. de Barrena- Sarobe said while announcing the arrest: “Parents have a sacred responsibility to care for their children.

“Day after day, these Defendants prioritized easy access to drugs over the health and safety of their child, leaving deadly fentanyl within arm’s reach. It is inexcusable. And it is murder.”

The parents have been charged with murder ( Image: ABC)

According to the DA’s office, officers from the local police department responded to a 911 call reporting a child in cardiac arrest on July 26 2023 in the early hours of the morning. The incident was located in the 500 block of East Lincoln Highway.

Upon arriving at the scene, first responders met Back who led them into the residence. Inside, officers found Mr Hawa performing CPR on the little boy, who was seen to have “ashen skin and cyanosis” – with his face and lips blue in colour. It is alleged that authorities also saw clear signs of drug use.

The press release said that “when officers took over the CPR, they noticed several crystalline baggies scattered throughout the living room and other medication bottles in a bag on the floor,” and shortly after, was transported via ambulance to Chester County Hospital. Sadly, he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the facility.

Authorities present at the scene said that the family’s residence was “littered”” with drugs and related paraphernalia. Police said: “Investigators located empty heroin bags in three separate locations on the floor of the room where responding officers first saw the victim child. Investigators also found a shoebox that contained hundreds of small glassine bags that each contained blue fentanyl/heroin bags that were either empty or contained residue.”

A review of the parents’ text messages showed that on July 25, they were discussing the usage of drugs. Later, in an interview with detectives, Mousa Hawa allegedly said that his son “knew not to touch illegal drugs” because he and Back described them as “medicine” which meant he wasn’t allowed to touch it unless it was given to him.

In a probable cause affidavit obtained by Philadelphia ABC affiliate WPVI, Mousa Hawa said that he referred to the drugs as “daddy’s medicine.”

The parents set up a fundraising page for their son’s funeral costs ( Image: ABC)

“There was a box of literally hundreds of used heroin baggies that had been kept,” Barrena-Sarobe told the station. “What’s worse, with all the drug use signs around, they completely denied being drug users on the scene, which doesn’t help medical responders treat a child.”

A toxicology screening performed on the victim showed that the child had cocaine and fentanyl in his system at the time of his death, with tests also showing he was exposed to these drugs before his death due an overdose. Since Hunter’s death, the couple started a GoFundMe seeking money to pay for the victim’s funeral expenses. The fundraising page, which had raised $895 as of Wednesday, simply states that Hunter “died suddenly.”

Back is currently being held on $1 million bond. Mousa Hawa was already incarcerated on drug charges. It was not immediately clear when they were scheduled to appear in court.

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