LIBERTY – As the light started to fade away from the Catskills, there was a gathering and a candlelight vigil on Saturday at Lapolt Park on Main Street in Liberty for Akasha.
“It’s great the community has come together,” said Dana Scruggs, who organized the vigil, “but it’s sad this tragic event made it happen.”
The 16-month-old died of a fentanyl overdose Tuesday, May 2, following a report of a baby having a cardiac arrest at the Knight’s Inn Motel. Another baby, a four-month-old, was also taken to the hospital after being exposed to the lethal synthetic opioid.
Following an investigation, 41-year-old Jimmie Luvert and 26-year-old Lisa Keitt were arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide and endangering the welfare of a child.
To Scruggs’ understanding the little girl found the deadly drug while the couple was sleeping.
“They were using the drugs, they fell asleep, they were in her reach, and she was exposed to them,” said Scruggs. “All it took was for her to touch it. She’s a baby. She could have put it in her mouth. Anything can happen.”
Scruggs knew the family when they lived next to each other in Monticello, and she would occasionally watch Akasha.
“They were not doing the best thing with the babies in the room, so we would take the babies and hang out and get them out of the situation for a little while,” said Scruggs. “I just keep thinking about how she played with her little earrings, and she had the biggest smile. She was the most beautiful baby.”
