A one-month-old boy found dead inside a hot car in Peoria, Ill. in September, had so much cocaine in his body that the drugs were the immediate cause of his death, the Peoria County Coroner’s Office confirms to PEOPLE.
The infant – whose name has not been released – also suffered from heat stress, dehydration, malnutrition, and neglect, according to the coroner’s office.
The coroner’s office declined to provide to PEOPLE the exact cause and manner of death, saying that his death certificate is protected. The office further declined to cite the amount of cocaine found in the infant’s body.
The infant’s mother, Andrea N. Luncsford, is charged with murder and felony endangering the health and life of a child, according to her online court docket.
Just after 7 p.m. on Sept. 16, officers were dispatched to the 2400 block of N. Peoria in regards to a report of a deceased infant, the Peoria Police Department said in a statement at the time.
The “unresponsive infant” was not breathing when officers arrived, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.
Police announced Luncsford’s arrest in connection to the case the following day.
The 26-year-old mother was arraigned in Peoria County Circuit Clerk earlier this month, per her online docket which does not indicate if she entered a plea to the charges.
Her public defender, Jennifer Patton, declined to comment to PEOPLE on the case.
A pretrial hearing is slated for Nov. 6, and a jury trial is set for Nov. 18 at 9:00 a.m.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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