Mahanoy woman charged after toddler contacts fentanyl, is revived with Narcan

ASHLAND – A Mahanoy City woman is facing a felony child endangerment charge after her three-year-old toddler had to be revived with Narcan. State troopers say he overdosed on fentanyl.

Nikki Rehrig, 30, of 118 East Pine Street, was charged Wednesday by Trooper Andrew Letcavage of the State Police at Frackville with one count of felony child endangerment and two counts of misdemeanor child endangerment.

According to Letcavage’s criminal complaint, troopers were called to a home in the 1000 block of Walnut Street in Ashland on June 22 around 9pm for a three-year-old overdosing.

Rehrig and a man lived there at the time with three children — two boys, 3 and 6, a girl, 7.

The three year old was found unresponsive and having difficulty breathing. When Ashland Ambulance personnel arrived, he was turning blue. He was transferred to Minersville Ambulance, who administered Narcan, at which point the child’s health began improving.

Troopers said Rehrig never told the medical personnel that the child had possessed a “dab container” containing a white crystal-like substance.

At a Pottsville hospital, troopers said a blood test showed that the toddler had fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system.

The other two children were tested later, as requested by Schuylkill County Children and Youth Services, and they both had fentanyl in their system, according to the criminal complaint.

Rehrig was interviewed that evening by state troopers, telling them she’d been sober for seven years and that her brother is also a recovering drug addict and had been sober for 18 months.

She said the container in question had been brought to her from the attic by one of the other children earlier, and shortly after, the toddler became unresponsive. Rehrig told troopers that she’d seen it three times before — once a month and a half ago while cleaning, at which point she didn’t open it; again two days ago, when she opened it and saw a crystal substance inside; and that day during the incident.

Rehrig was arraigned Wednesday by Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli and bail was set at $50,000 unsecured.

A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 4 before Tarantelli.

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