Thalia Matos, 28, of Carbondale, was accused Monday of causing an infant’s death by co-sleeping while intoxicated
CARBONDALE, Pa. — The Lackawanna County district attorney’s office on Monday accused a Carbondale woman of causing the death of her two-month-old son last summer.
Thalia Matos, 28, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment because she slept intoxicated in the same bed in July with Royce Coxson, her boyfriend’s biological son, in July at a home on Fallbrook Street, according to a criminal complaint.
When they woke in the morning, Royce was unresponsive; Coroner Tim Rowland later ruled his death a homicide caused by asphyxia from co-sleeping.
District Attorney Brian Gallagher said that investigators believe she had smoked marijuana laced with embalming fluid, which “combined with unsafe sleeping practices, created a substantial and unjustifiable risk to the child’s life.” A blood test detected she had in her system THC — the psychoactive compound in marijuana — and an acid found in formaldehyde, among other compounds.
“Co-sleeping, particularly when a caregiver is impaired by marijuana or other drugs, can have fatal consequences,” Gallagher said in a statement. “Infants depend entirely on adults for their protection, and when that responsibility is compromised, we will step in and hold caretakers accountable.”
The case was investigated by detectives from the district attorney’s office and the Carbondale police.