A 28-year-old Jennings woman has been arrested on a charge of third-degree feticide after her unborn child died following a suspected drug overdose in December.
Shandelynn Benoit was taken into custody Monday at the same residence where the overdose occurred, according to the Jennings Police Department. She was booked into the parish jail without incident.
The investigation began Dec. 12, when Jennings Police responded to a local hospital where a pregnant woman had been admitted after an apparent overdose. Benoit was 37 weeks pregnant at the time.
Despite lifesaving efforts by medical personnel, the unborn child was pronounced dead.
During the investigation, Benoit admitted to using fentanyl and heroin throughout her pregnancy, police said. Investigators learned she had been repeatedly warned by medical professionals to stop using drugs because of the risk of serious harm or death to the unborn child.
Benoit told investigators she used fentanyl and heroin to relieve stomach pain before the overdose, rather than seeking medical treatment.