
Fort Lee, NJ woman charged in 12-year-old girl’s tragic fatal overdose
🔴 Girl found unresponsive at North Jersey home
🔴 Her death was ruled an overdose
🔴 Woman charged with child endangerment, drug possession
UPDATE: Authorities upgrade charges against woman
FORT LEE — A Bergen County woman has been arrested after the death of a 12-year-old girl this weekend.
Frances Caso, 48, of Fort Lee was charged with one count of second-degree child endangerment, three counts of third-degree child endangerment, two counts of third-degree drug possession, and fourth-degree drug paraphernalia possession.
She is being held at Bergen County Jail pending a court appearance, according to Bergen County prosecutors.
According to authorities, Fort Lee police got a 911 call from a home on Maple Street around 3:30 p.m. Saturday reporting that a 12-year-old girl was unresponsive.
The girl was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. Investigators noticed signs of a possible overdose at the time and informed the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.
A more robust investigation later found that Caso and three other children were also in the home at the time of the overdose.
RELATED: Weekend deaths of 2 children at NJ homes under investigation
Detectives got a search warrant and found "multiple suspected controlled dangerous substances" at the home, prosecutors said. Authorities did not say what kind of drugs were found.
Prosecutors said the girl ingested a fatal dose of narcotics and that an investigation into her death continues.
Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom
NJ schools that made the most calls to police
Gallery Credit: New Jersey 101.5
New Jersey's Most Dangerous Gangs and Mobsters
Gallery Credit: Rick Rickman