Woman given credit time served after her toddler overdosed on her fentanyl

A 36-year-old woman whose toddler overdosed on fentanyl in her Spokane Valley home was given credit for the three months she served in jail, according to a Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office news release.

The son survived.

Samantha J. Anderson pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless endangerment Friday in Spokane County District Court. District Court Judge Jenny Zappone sentenced Anderson to a year in jail, but suspended 268 days, giving her credit for the remaining 96 days she already served.

The release said the sentence stems from an incident last March when Anderson was in her kitchen while her then-1-year-old son was playing in the living room of the home in the 11200 block of East 10th Avenue, according to court documents.

She saw him sucking on something and thought it was his thumb. A few minutes later, she realized he was not moving or breathing and his face was blue.

She saw the foil she had used to smoke fentanyl the night before and put in her purse on the floor near her son. She realized he must have gotten into the foil and overdosed, so she administered two doses of Narcan to her son and performed CPR.

Anderson’s sister called 911. The toddler was taken to the emergency room, and Anderson was arrested.

During Friday’s plea and sentencing hearing, prosecutors sought the maximum punishment of one year in jail and supervised visits between Anderson and her son for five years, prosecutors said. The state argued the case was much more serious than most reckless endangerment cases and Anderson’s recklessness almost killed her son.

The defense requested no additional jail time, one year probation and treatment for substance-use disorder and mental health. It also asked the judge not to impose a no-contact order.

Zappone denied the no-contact order and imposed two years of probation for Anderson. She also ordered Anderson to continue drug and alcohol testing and to complete treatment programs.