A Newfield man has been arrested following a Tompkins County Grand Jury indictment related to the death of a 4-year-old child.
On Monday, State Troopers took 31-year-old Justin Fenton into custody. He has been charged with second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and tampering with physical evidence.
According to police, on June 30, 2024, state troopers responded to a home on South Way in Newfield for a report of an unconscious child suffering from cardiac arrest. The child was transported to Cayuga Medical Center, where he was later pronounced deceased.
An autopsy and toxicology report determined the child’s death was caused by fentanyl toxicity. Investigators concluded that Fenton’s drug use at the time recklessly exposed the child to a lethal dose, leading to his death.
Following a Grand Jury indictment on September 4, 2025, an arrest warrant was issued. Fenton was located on September 8, processed at State Police Ithaca, and then turned over to the Tompkins County Jail.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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