The mother of twin toddlers is facing murder charges after her three-year-old sons died from alleged exposure of drugs laced with fentanyl.
Jestice James, 22, was charged with two counts of murder and two counts of child abuse after her twins – Josiah and Jestine- were found unresponsive at their home in Canoga Park, Calif. on July 11.
The three-year-old twins were unresponsive when paramedics arrived at the apartment where James was with her boyfriend and her family.
The boys were rushed to a nearby hospital, but family members said it was too late. Josiah, the older of the twins, died later that night, while Jestine died two days later.
Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami told DailyMail.com James’ case is the first in Los Angeles County where a parent has been charged with deaths related to alleged fentanyl overdose, which is becoming a ‘disturbing trend’.
The veteran prosecutor would not go into detail as to how the twins were exposed to fentanyl pending the ongoing investigation.
However, Hatami said there has been four other similar cases of children exposed to fentanyl in LA County within the past six months.
‘Children are out most vulnerable,’ Hatami said. ‘They don’t buy fentanyl and they don’t smoke it. Adults are doing that but it is the innocent children who are paying the ultimate price. It’s unacceptable.
‘When it comes to fentanyl exposure, we need to do everything we can to protect the innocent children.’
James looked visibly distraught as she appeared at a Van Nuys courthouse on Tuesday afternoon, while a handful of her family members sat in the court audience.
The young mother struggled to hold back tears as her mother, LaTina Allen, mouthed, ‘I love you,’ to her from across the courtroom.
James will remain in county jail in lieu of a $4 million bail. She is scheduled to appear back in court July 31 once an attorney is assigned to her case.
Family members who attended Tuesday’s hearing said James is a doting mother who would not place her beloved sons in any harm.
They boys recently celebrated their birthday and were at the beach during the July Fourth holiday celebrating with family.
Family photos obtained by DailyMail.com showed a smiling James with her two boys.
Josiah, the older of the two, was a curious boy who was ‘very smart’ and always inquisitive, said Allen.
Although Jestine was the younger brother, he always ‘made sure his older brother Jojo was OK because he was a little bit bigger’, their grandma said.
The family has set up a GoFundMe for funeral costs for the boys.
Hatami said most fatal opioid exposure of children happens at the family home.
‘Home should always be the safe place for a child, but most unintentional pediatric exposure to illicit fentanyl happens in the child’s home. We need more education, more awareness and more accountability regarding the dangers of fentanyl as it relates to innocent babies and toddlers.’
The twin’s godmother, Regina Holmes, said their family is heartbroken over the young boys’ deaths and are also grappling with their mother’s ‘terrible decision’.
‘This is really hard for the family,’ Holmes said. ‘We want to bring awareness about fentanyl.
‘We want anyone who has a family member, friend or associate who is indulging in that particular drug to know that it is a fatal drug. We lost Juju and Jojo.’