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A Wappingers Falls man, Thomas Martinez, has been charged with criminally negligent homicide following the death of his 10-month-old child from fentanyl intoxication. The arrest comes after a five-year investigation by the New York State Police and the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office. On November 9, 2020, authorities responded to a report of an unconscious infant at a home on Creekview Court in Wappingers Falls. The child was taken to Vassar Brothers Medical Center but was pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed the cause of death as acute fentanyl intoxication.
Martinez, 41, was responsible for the child's care at the time of the incident. He was arraigned on Tuesday (December 2) and is currently serving a three-year sentence for grand larceny at Fishkill Correctional Facility. Bail for Martinez was set at $200,000 cash, $500,000 bond, or $2 million partially-secured bond, although it is largely symbolic due to his current incarceration.
The case had initially stalled under the previous District Attorney, William Grady, who declined to prosecute despite evidence of negligence. However, the current District Attorney, Anthony Parisi, decided to pursue the case, citing the importance of justice for the people of Dutchess County. Martinez is scheduled to reappear in court on January 6, 2026, and the investigation remains ongoing.