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.

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