A tragic incident unfolded recently when a 5-year-old boy was found unresponsive and foaming at the mouth in a Bronx apartment. Unfortunately, the young child, De’Neil Timberlake, passed away after being transported to St. Barnabas Hospital. Police believe that the methadone found in his system, which likely led to his death, may have been ingested over the weekend from a source close to home – his own father, Darrell Timberlake.
Darrell Timberlake, who is 42 years old and known to be a methadone user with a long history of child neglect cases, has not yet been charged in connection with his son’s death. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny stated that the investigation into De’Neil’s death is still ongoing, but as of now, it appears that the fatal drug was methadone ingestion.
The preliminary toxicology report revealed traces of methadone in the child’s system on Monday, just a day after medics and NYPD officers responded to an urgent 911 call concerning De’Neil not breathing inside his family’s Belmont apartment. Doctors declared him dead upon arrival at St. Barnabas Hospital, with no obvious signs of trauma or injury observed by Kenny.
De’Neil had been feeling unwell on Saturday and even vomited after attempting to eat cereal. He was described as being very lethargic, unwilling to play with his siblings, or watch TV. He later went to bed on a mattress on the floor, nestled between his father and a 27-year-old female cousin.
By early Sunday morning, Darrell Timberlake discovered that he could not wake his son De’Neil, leading him to call 911 for assistance. Upon investigating the scene, police found empty baggies with an unidentified residue, which is currently being tested in hopes of gathering more information about the tragic incident.
The boy’s half-brother, aged 12, and half-sister, aged 11, were removed from the residence by authorities and taken to their grandfather’s house for safety and support. Darrell Timberlake has one previous arrest for acting in a manner that could harm a child and an extensive history of dealings with the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), amounting to nine total cases involving neglect, inadequate guardianship, and providing insufficient food, clothing, or shelter.
In 2018, Timberlake was also arrested for assaulting one of his children’s mothers while the kids were present. As the investigation into De’Neil’s untimely death continues, the hope is that more information will come to light to help authorities determine the true circumstances surrounding this heartbreaking event.
