2-year-old boy dies from probable opiate overdose; mother arrested



MILWAUKEE -- Prescription drugs may be to blame for the death of a two-year-old boy on Milwaukee's north side. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office is investigating this case as a probable drug overdose.

The death of two-year-old James Vessell is filling neighbors who live near 41st and Center with heartache.



Police say a two-year-old boy was found unresponsive by his mother around 5:30 p.m. She called 911, but the boy died on scene despite lifesaving efforts of the Milwaukee Fire Department.

James Vessell



The child’s mother, a 39-year-old woman, has been arrested for Neglect-Causing Death. FOX6 News has learned another child was removed from the home and placed in protective services.

Sources tell FOX6 News oxycontin pills were found on the floor inside the house.



Of the 329 confirmed drug overdose deaths in 2016, the medical examiner says four were children two years old and younger. Data shows the rate has been increasing over the past several years.

Monitor FOX6 News and FOX6Now.com for updates on this developing story.