Phoenix mom sentenced to 12.5 years after 1-year-old son’s death from fentanyl overdose

A Phoenix mom was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison after her 1-year-old son died from a fentanyl overdose last year.

Mar 6, 2025, 5:00 PM Updated: Mar 7, 2025, 2:15 pm

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PHOENIX — A Phoenix mom was recently sentenced to 12.5 years in prison after her 1-year-old son died from a fentanyl overdose last year, authorities said.

In January 2024, Natalie Tate, 38, called 911 about her son being unresponsive, according to Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Around 7:30 a.m, officers responded to the call near the area of 32nd and Van Buren streets.

How did Phoenix mom’s toddler son die from a fentanyl overdose?

Officers at the scene learned that Tate had taken fentanyl the night before and she left pills on a table within her son’s reach, prosecutors said.

Tate fell asleep after using drugs and woke up to an open pillbox and blue residue on the floor, according to authorities.

She then put her kids to bed for the night and woke up the next morning to find her child unresponsive.

Phoenix fire officials pronounced the toddler dead at the scene.

The medical examiner determined the cause of the child’s death was due to acute fentanyl consumption, according to authorities.

Tate pleaded guilty to the following felony charges:

One count of manslaughter.
One count of child abuse.
One count of attempt to commit child abuse.

“The recklessness of this fentanyl-addicted mother caused her toddler to grab a hold of a lethal dose of fentanyl,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a statement. “This drug is everywhere in our community and we must do all we can to protect the most vulnerable — our children.”