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'Horrified and saddened' | Police investigate suspicious death in Minneapolis

Police said a toddler was found unresponsive and not breathing in a room surrounded by narcotics paraphernalia Tuesday.

MINNEAPOLIS — Police are calling the death of a toddler suspicious after the 2-year-old died at the hospital on Tuesday. 

In a press release, Minneapolis police said officers were called to the 100 block of Glenwood Avenue North for a baby who wasn't breathing and was unresponsive. 

When officers arrived on scene they found a 2-year-old girl in a room with narcotics paraphernalia around her. Officers said they gave the child Narcan and performed CPR until paramedics arrived. 

First responders rushed the toddler to Hennepin Healthcare where she died. Officials have not released any other information about the child at this time. 

Investigators are calling the death suspicious, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said. 

“I am horrified and saddened by this tragedy,” he said. “Our investigators are fully committed to finding the facts and figuring out how this little girl died.”

Police said there were two adults and a 7-year-old child at home with the toddler when they arrived. Officers said the 7-year-old was unharmed. 

Police said they spoke with the adults. At this time no arrests have been made. 

This comes at a time when overdose's have continued to rise steadily over the past decade. Data from the Minnesota Department of Health shows that Anoka, Hennepin and Ramsey Counties all saw less than 10 overdose deaths in 2013. By 2022, Anoka was up into the 60s, while Hennepin and Ramsey Counties were in the hundreds.

"I would describe it as a crisis," Major Rick Palia with the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office said. "We see pills as low as $1 to $2 a pill, and that makes it available for just about anybody."

Palia says HCSO is constantly working with different task forces and other law enforcement departments to stop the spread of illicit fentanyl.

"I feel like we're making progress. We know that overdose deaths seem to be slightly trending down. Is that because of all the seizures? Is it because we have messaged so much about Naloxone or Narcan and how to save lives?" Palia said. "I think it's a combination of everything. But really, there's a lot of a lot of work that still needs to be done. We're a long ways from solving this problem."

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