Carnegie man charged in overdose death of 4-year-old son
Jul. 6—A Carnegie toddler overdosed on fentanyl after a day spent with his father, who has since been charged with involuntary manslaughter, police said.
Van Redding, 36, is charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of his 4-year-old earlier this year. The child died May 7 at St. Clair Hospital in Mt. Lebanon, where Redding had driven him after he'd become sick, unsteady and ultimately unresponsive.
According to the criminal complaint, Redding had spent the day with the child after picking him up from his mother's house. They went to a family party at a skate park then to Tanger Outlets in Washington County, Redding told police, and they stopped at a McDonald's on the way back to Redding's Carnegie apartment.
Redding said the boy ate his chicken nugget Happy Meal at the coffee table in the living room, according to the complaint, after which he threw up and had trouble walking. Police said Redding called the child's mother, and the child was unresponsive by the time she arrived.
Police said Redding allowed investigators to search his apartment, and he directed them to the coffee table where the child had eaten his chicken nuggets. Investigators said there were jars of prescription medical marijuana on the table, and Redding directed them to a drop ceiling panel that was concealing small plastic baggies, one of which contained white powder.
Redding told police the white powder was fentanyl, according to the complaint. Police said laboratory testing confirmed there was fentanyl in the bag. The medical examiner's office in June said toxicology reports showed fentanyl in the 4-year-old's blood, and the death was ruled an accidental overdose.
In addition to involuntary manslaughter, Redding is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and drug possession, according to court records. A judge denied bail at a preliminary arraignment on Friday, indicating he had "no confidence" Redding would show for a preliminary hearing. That preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 9.
Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@triblive.com or via Twitter .
